Not Just Another Statistic
By Nicole (MySistahs Intern)
Each year, almost 750,000 teenage women aged 15-19 become pregnant.[1] And each year, 750,000 dreams are deferred, perhaps, never to be attained. Of the 750,000 teenage pregnancies that occur each year, the majority occur in women of color. The research and statistics about teenage pregnancy give a sterile and fact-driven analysis of our reality, but they do little to empower us to make a change. Of course, understanding what is going on is the first part of solving a problem, but numbers can only explain so much. Furthermore, numbers-based research silences the voices of these young girls and oversimplifies an extremely complex situation.
Perhaps the most interesting research and analysis explores teenage pregnancy in young women of color living in poverty. While becoming a mother at a young age adds difficulty for women in all walks of life, it is especially difficult for young women living in poverty. Poor and low income women ages 15-19 make up only 38 percent of women in this age group, but they account for 73 percent of all teenage (ages 15-19) pregnancies.[2] Research often cites lack of education and lack of access to resources as the leading factors that contribute to the high birth rate in this community. These two factors do have a significant effect, but it once again paints the picture of uneducated people of color who are in need of help and are ignorant about methods of pregnancy prevention. The analysis rarely addresses the psychological effects of economic and racial oppression, the cultural contexts, the inequities in male and female relationships, or the diminished sense of agency many young women of color feel as a result of our two-fold target status.
Once again, we are studied, but misunderstood. We are accounted for, but only in part. I often wonder about the effect that constantly being under the microscope has on my community. How does the research color my perception of myself? If I were a teenage mother, how would I feel if I read that my pregnancy is seen as a social ill and that my reason to have a child is being chalked up to me simply not knowing any better? It seems that Black or Latina lives are often reduced to just another statistic.
But in 2007, no woman should have to have an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. Poverty and all its trappings doesn’t have to lead to teenage pregnancy. We don’t have to be “just another statistic.” This is where the Advocates for Youth Young Women of Color Initiative message comes in; Advocates stands by the message “educate, include, empower.” This message is extremely powerful because it reminds us that we are in control of our selves and our bodies. When I think about the declining teenage birth rate in the Latina and African American community I think about young empowered women making wise decisions. I am reminded that a little bit of education and the belief that we can do better is what actually changes trends. Research may report our reality, but we have the power to alter our reality.
Remember, abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method of birth control. If you are sexually active, talk with your doctor or a trusted adult about your birth control options. There are many birth control methods available for us today. They range from oral contraceptives, to condoms, diaphragms, or injections. While many forms of birth control prevent pregnancy, they do not all protect against HIV and other STI’s. Using a barrier method of birth control (condom or dental dam) is the best way to prevent the transmission of STI’s. Know that you have the right to say “no” if your partner refuses to wear a condom. It may be hard to get up the courage to assert ourselves in this situation, but think about what we could lose. Having unprotected sex one time can result in pregnancy. Pregnancy at a young age can make it incredibly difficult for us to achieve our goals. There are already many obstacles that come with growing up unintended pregnancy does not have to be one of them.
Respect yourself. Protect yourself. See to it that you and all those for whom you care don’t become “just another statistic.”
References:
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. National and state-specific pregnancy rates among adolescents, United States, 1995-1997. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 2000; 49:605-11.
- Moss, T. Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing in the United States. Advocates for Youth. 2004.
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