Bakersfield.com Opinion : Call to Action

STACEY SHEPARD: A pregnancy prevention education predicament

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:12:34 PDT

For all the talk about the complex factors that play into Kern County's sky-high teen birthrate, there's a very basic step we can take to address the problem: Teach pregnancy prevention in our schools and ensure that the curriculum meets state requirements.

Thought this was already happening? Not necessarily. California requires instruction on HIV prevention in middle school and high school. This instruction must cover abstinence but also the effectiveness of condoms in preventing infection. Pregnancy prevention, however, need not be taught. Schools may opt to teach it, and if they do, it must include instruction on abstinence, contraception and the state's Safe Surrender Law. The state recommends approved curriculum materials but schools can choose their own instruction &discHyphen;materials.

OUR VIEW: Kern sex ed curriculum deserves a state audit

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:45:40 PDT

It's time to get serious about sex education in our schools. We owe it to the thousands of teens in Kern County whose lives have been derailed by pregnancy. We owe it to the babies of those teen parents, who are more likely to have health problems and grow up in poverty. And we owe it to our taxpayers, who foot the bill for teen births -- which is nearly $50 million annually in Kern County.

To that end, we call on the state Department of Education to come to Kern County and audit the sex education programs taught in our middle and high schools. There's strong evidence to question the quality of sex ed being taught in our schools. A state audit of McFarland High School's sex ed program five months ago found serious issues with the curriculum. And by the Kern High School District's own admission, its policies on teaching pregnancy prevention omit certain types of contraception that the state requires to be taught. It's not just a Kern County problem, either. Parents in the city of Clovis, in Fresno County, recently asked the state to intervene when they discovered their schools' sex ed program taught kids that HIV and sexual infections could be spread by French kissing and sharing earrings -- myths that were debunked years ago.

STACEY SHEPARD: Why Latinas demand a different conversation about teen pregnancy

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:01:00 PDT

Trying to pinpoint the cause of Kern County's notoriously high teen birthrate isn't easy. Some blame high rates of poverty or low educational attainment, while others point to pop culture, risky behavior or parents who are unwilling to discuss the birds and the bees.

But one glaring statistic can't be ignored. While nationwide, three out of 10 teen girls will become pregnant, for Hispanic teens, the chances are a full 50 percent. More than half of Hispanic women have their first child before the age of 20. And in Kern County, Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the population: Between 2000 and 2010, the local Hispanic population grew 63 percent, according to U.S. census figures.

SOUNDING BOARD: Apply tough love: Cut benefits to teen mothers

Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 PDT

The safest and most efficient way to reduce teen births is to reduce teen pregnancies. The million-dollar question: How do we realistically reduce the number of teen pregnancies? That's the question we asked members of The Californian's Sounding Board. Here are some of their responses:

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SOUNDING BOARD: Instill girls with sense of value at early age

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:02:28 PDT

Kern County's teen birthrate, the highest in California, is not a new problem. It reflects a social cycle that drags us all down, economically and otherwise.

SOUNDING BOARD: Sadly, abstinence-only ed won't cut it

Wed, 04 May 2011 23:00:00 PDT

Kern County has the highest teen birthrate in California. And it's not a new problem. We've been at or near the top of the list since people have been tracking those statistics.

The teen birthrate reflects a social cycle that drags us all down, economically and otherwise. Children born to teen mothers are more likely to become teen parents themselves, and their children are more likely to drop out of school, tap into public assistance and go to jail.

SOUNDING BOARD: Loneliness may drive some to pregnancy

Sun, 01 May 2011 23:04:28 PDT

Kern County's teen birthrate, the highest in California, is not a new problem. It reflects a social cycle that drags us all down, economically and otherwise.

BILL PHELPS: Avenues for prevention

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 PDT

While it is nearly impossible to include everything that may have contributed to addressing teen pregnancy and the burdens of adolescent parenthood, several efforts have helped address this issue over the past 20 to 25 years. Most are offered in public schools, community-based settings or through home visits.

Primary prevention programs cover a variety of strategies, including abstinence-only education; comprehensive reproductive health education; teaching decision-making skills; helping youth deal with peer pressure; improving self-esteem through positive adult relationships; educating youth on sexually transmitted diseases; birth control options and their effectiveness; and finally, understanding the responsibilities and sacrifices of parenthood. There is also a legal strategy through the District Attorney's Office that has been in operation since the mid-1990s that focuses on the prosecution of unlawful intercourse -- statutory rape.

SOUNDING BOARD: How do we reduce teen pregnancy rate?

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:25:56 PDT

The safest and most efficient way to reduce teen births is to reduce teen pregnancies. The million-dollar question: How do we realistically reduce the number of teen pregnancies? We asked members of The Californian's Sounding Board.

ERICA VARGAS: Still just a kid, but a mother, too

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:39:19 PDT

A perfect life with a white picket fence -- the "American dream" -- is all I ever wanted. I did not plan my pregnancy, but I remember feeling excited when I found out; I was 13 years old.

I knew I could get pregnant and I was on the pill, but did not realize the reality of raising a child. So if I missed a pill here or there, who cares? I was with a person who was supposed to love me and everything was supposed to be perfect.

RHONDA DUGAN: Pop culture influences have come a long way, baby

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:00:00 PDT

When I was asked to write about the images of teen motherhood in popular culture/media, I had already been making some observations about this emerging trend. I have this habit (as many of you may have) of skimming through entertainment magazines in strategically placed grocery-store checkout lines. A few weeks ago, while waiting in line, I noticed that some of the teenage mothers featured in televisions shows like "16 and Pregnant," "Teen Mom" and "Teen Mom 2" were gracing the glossy covers of Us Weekly, In Touch and People -- competing for headline space with the Kardashian sisters, Brangelina and Hollywood's best dressed at the Oscars.

It is quite surprising to me how the popular view of teenage motherhood has shifted from a private family matter to an openly public one. For the teenage motherhood reality stars, their pregnancies have become entertainment and has led them to, dare I suggest it, celebrity status.

CARRIE EVELAND: Like it or not, taxpayers footing the bill for this

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:30:00 PDT

Sometimes being a conservative in a liberal-dominated field like teen pregnancy prevention education has been an exercise in biting my tongue. I'll admit I have some left-leaning opinions -- some quite strong -- but in most ways, I'm a lifelong conservative.

Every former student I see at the mall or the grocery store who says, "I probably would have been a teen parent if you hadn't come into my class" is heartwarming for the left-leaning side of me -- one more teen who made it and one less baby to be abandoned, neglected or abused. The fact that the former student is spending money they've earned and helping our economy instead of being a burden on taxpayers is sweet victory for the right-wing side of me. Prevention equals money in our pockets. Prevention means taxpayers will not be expected to support the unplanned, unwanted or unwise pregnancies of the people who are least likely to afford them -- teens.

MATT CONSTANTINE: Giving our children a chance for health

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:00:00 PDT

Kern County's high teen birthrate, the worst in California, has significant economic consequences that reach far beyond the families that are most immediately affected. Many factors play into the situation, and there are no easy solutions. That's why The Californian's Opinion section is making the issue of teen pregnancy the subject of special attention this spring -- and beyond.

The greater challenge is not just pregnancy prevention. It's also protecting the health of infants born to mothers who are often not equipped to deal with their new responsibilities. It's about preventing second and third pregnancies in teen mothers whose social and financial circumstances may not have improved since the birth of a first child. It's about getting those young mothers on the right track, so they can help break the cycle of teen pregnancy in this community -- and do right by the babies they already have.

And baby makes two

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:02:01 PDT

Teenage pregnancy is a communitywide issue because its consequences ripple through the regional economy on so many levels. The evidence starts in the classroom: Only about half of teen mothers have a high school diploma, compared with 89 percent of women who did not give birth as teens. Given the increased demand for schooling in today's highly competitive job market, the failure to finish high school -- let alone vocational training or a degree in higher education -- can be devastating. But that's one of the repercussions of teen pregnancy. Keeping parenting teens in school is the purpose of the California School Age Families Education Program (Cal-SAFE), which serves pregnant and parenting teens and their children. This is the story of one young woman who's trying to make the most of her participation in the program.

-- Editor

We've made a dent, but it's taken us 25 years

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:02:01 PDT

The recent news that Kern County has once again achieved the highest teen birthrate in the state makes it sound as if we have made little headway in addressing this issue over the past several decades.

In reality, Kern County has managed to reduce the rate of teen births by nearly 43 percent between 1991 and 2009, from a high of 104.3 live births per thousand females aged 15 to 19 in 1991 to 59.7 live births per thousand for the same group in 2009.