A Mother’s Day pledge

OPINION:

How fitting is it that Mother’s Day and teen Pregnancy Prevention Month are both in May. On Mother”s Day, we celebrate mothers for being mothers and during the entire month of May, we provide activities and programs to prevent teens from becoming mothers too soon.

For about 90 years in the United States, the second Sunday in May has been set aside to honor mothers, one of the most important days we celebrate. Many churches have special services in which they honor mothers of the congregation. They usually present the oldest mother, youngest mother and the mother with the most children with a corsage. Restaurants will be packed, giving mom a reprieve from her kitchen. Mothers will be treated as queens and showered with all kinds of gifts, cards, candy, diamonds, flowers, jewelry, perfumes, and money. But what is Mother’s Day to a teen mother?

For too many teens, Mother”s Day has come too soon. According to the D.C. Department of Health, State Center for Health Statistics, 852 teen girls between the ages of 15 and 19 became mothers in 2005; down from the previous year of 864 for the same age group. At a time when many teen girls are going to school and completing homework assignments, going out with friends, talking on the telephone for hours, applying for colleges and universities; while others have taken on the mammoth task of child-rearing, one of the toughest jobs on earth, when they are yet children themselves. It seems like only yesterday that teen mothers were little girls in pretty dresses with ribbons and bows in their hair and exhibited a carefree spirit as they played games and jumped rope in the school yard. What caused them to trade and or defer their dreams for responsibilities that overwhelm them? Motivation is key. Young people make decisions within the context of their lives, which include the opportunities they have, the attitudes they develop and the perception of a positive and productive future.

Adults must provide the inspiration, excitement and creative spark in teens that encourages them to delay pregnancy until they are adults. In other words, provide all teens with the tools for success that you would want for your own children.

Research shows that teen pregnancy is less likely when boys and girls, regardless of income and race:

- Connect to their families, schools and neighborhoods in positive, meaningful ways;

- Have safe places to spend time with their friends with adult supervision and interesting things to do;

- Get comprehensive teen welcoming health care;

- Make a clear plan that does not include pregnancy during their teen years;

- Experience school success from an early age; and

- Have a sense of belonging.

A 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a bi-annually conducted survey on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control of high school students looks at six categories of risk-taking behaviors, which are identified as being responsible for a large percentage of adolescent mortality, morbidity and social problems. It reveals that 57.6 percent of District high school students have engaged in sex and 13.4 percent for the first time before the age of 13. But what is also an eye-opener is that 30.6 percent of District middle school students have engaged in sex and 10 percent before the age of 11.

While some teen parents may eventually do well after having a child, this is not the norm. Many teen mothers eke out an existence for themselves and their children, relying on government-subsidized programs such as TANF and Medicaid. With rare exception, the future for families born of teen parents is extremely bleak. Typically, teen mothers do not graduate high school and consequently have severely diminished earning capacity. And child support is beyond the financial capability of most teen fathers. Children born to teens are twice as likely to be abused or neglected. Sons of teen mothers are three time more likely to be involved with the criminal justice system, and daughters are 22 percent more likely to become teen parents themselves.

Families started by teens are fragile and require tremendous emotional, social and financial support. This Mother”s Day, let”s agree that being a teen parent is in no one”s best interest ” not the mother, father or the child. Let us rededicate ourselves to making teen pregnancy a thing of the past in the District of Columbia and across the country.

Happy Mother”s Day!

Joyce A. Fourth Clemons is the Communications Director, DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.