DEAR EDITOR:
The community of Gilroy faces a lot of controversial problems.
Many young teens are getting pregnant without planning it or
understand the consequences of teen pregnancy.
DEAR EDITOR:
The community of Gilroy faces a lot of controversial problems. Many young teens are getting pregnant without planning it or understand the consequences of teen pregnancy. Some teens are getting pregnant because they have low self-esteem, wanting to be like the others, or don’t come from their interpretation of a loving family therefore, wish to create their own family.
Occasionally, there are some teenagers that want to have a baby because they think babies are so cute and have something of their own to love and care for. The reality of the many challenges never enters the young mother’s mind until the baby gets sick, keeping the young mother up most of the night, the frustration over lack of finances, or that she has any carefree time. This isn’t like a doll where one can just put it away when you don’t want to play with it anymore. This little baby has constant needs and is yours forever.
Statistics show that Gilroy has the highest birth rate throughout Santa Clara County. I think that the community has a lot to do with this growing problem. On Friday and Saturday nights when kids don’t want to think about school and just have fun I find that there is nothing of interest to do, nor is there any “safe place” considered by teenagers as “cool” to hang out at. You can’t expect us to stay at home and do homework or some other undesirable thing. When we do find something to do it most often isn’t what we should be doing.
I think it is great that we have a Planned Parenthood for young teens to go, but at the same time I think it encourages sex. Teens know have a place to get condoms and pills to feel safer when having sex. In my opinion, I think that schools need to have creative ways of informing kids about the consequences of having sex. This includes the many sexually transmitted diseases that can be transmitted not only from sex but oral sex, too. If a young mother came in with her child (family) to lecture kids about how hard it is to raise her child, it would really hit a lot of people.
Once you get the visuals out there I believe more people will listen to someone who is their peer verses the adult trying to teach. And finally, more resources should go to help the teen population with activities in which confidence and self-esteem are developed instead of the resources for after the fact consequences.
Cydney Fong, Gilroy, GHS student
Submitted Monday, Nov. 4 to [email protected]
