TIME ,Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High
By KATHLEEN KINGSBURY Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2008

As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies—more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year. Some adults dismissed the statistic as a blip. Others blamed hit movies like Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing young unwed mothers. But principal Joseph Sullivan knows at least part of the reason there's been such a spike in teen pregnancies in this Massachusetts fishing town. School officials started looking into the matter as early as October after an unusual number of girls began filing into the school clinic to find out if they were pregnant. By May, several students had returned multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and on hearing the results, "some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," Sullivan says. All it took was a few simple questions before nearly half the expecting students, none older than 16, confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together. Then the story got worse. "We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy," the principal says, shaking his head.

The article continues on.... http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html


What in the HECK???

By Luvn29 on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 03:35 pm:

Ugh! I've been following this. Being a teenage mom myself, I really worried when I saw the movie Juno come out, hot on the heels of pregnant teen Jamie Lynn Spears. I don't ever place full blame on movies, video games, etc., but I really worried about the positive spin these things put on it.

I haven't watched Juno yet, so I can't say a lot about it, but from the previews, I wonder if it places a realistic view on being pregnant at that age...

By Kaye on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 04:04 pm:

I have seen Juno. It certainly did paint a "i wish this were me" scenerio. I do think that it had some good moments. Juno was very real about not being fit to be a mother and this baby needed a family. It also portrayed the sex act as very awkward and not at all romantic. I thought it was a good movie.

The pg pact...crazy, but i have to say I know at least two girls growing up that chose this route. Sadly we all want to be loved and we don't always get that from our parents.

By Colette on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 04:07 pm:

yes, this is all over the news up here. There is a lot of speculation over it being true or false. the story started when it hit the press the high school was handing out birth control pills and condoms without parental consent. The mayor of gloucester had a special meeting today, if any of the father's are over 16 they can be charged w/statutory rape but so far no one has pressed charges.

I saw Juno with my 17yr old and it was a good movie although a totally unrealistic portrayal of teenage pregnancy.

By Rayanne on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 04:53 pm:

I have seen Juno as well and completely agree with Kaye on it.

That is just crazy!

By Vicki on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 06:35 pm:

I honestly feel that ONE of the reasons teenage pregnancy is rising is that the mothers/fathers don't have to take much responsibility for it. Every single person that I know of right now that is a teenage/single mother is getting TONS of help from their parents. Not to mention money from the state, medical coverage etc. It is not the real world for them of having a child. It used to be that if you got pregnant, you got married and dropped out of school and there was your life. Now, it doesn't seem to be that way. I am not saying that is the way it should be, but at least there is SOME down side to getting yourself pregnant. There doesn't seem to be a down side for most girls now. They finish school, some go on to college and their parents take care of the baby. I honestly feel they get to much help if that makes any sense. Not very hard consequences.

By Yjja123 on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 07:24 pm:

I agree Vicki.
Possibly this thread will need to be moved to the debate board.
I think that too many of these things are becoming common. It seems morals and values have declined. I did not let my daughter see Juno because I felt that it did not accurately show teenage pregnancy.
My daughter wears a purity ring. We have had many conversations about teenage sex. I do not think that I can 100% prevent her from doing it. I just hope and pray that she will hold off until she is old enough to understand what a beautiful thing sex is between a MARRIED couple.

By Luvn29 on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 08:34 pm:

Yvonne, I didn't let my daughter see it, either. I, too, think that everything is too easy for pregnant teens. I was a senior in highschool when I got pregnant. My parents supported me, but my life was not made easy. I can honestly say that I have never in my life received any type of aide from the government. Yes, I was eligible, but I was too proud to accept it knowing I had other options. I stayed on my dad's insurance, so I didn't need medicaid, even though it would have paid everything 100%.

I was very sick during my pregnancy, so I had to finish my senior year at home. I did go on to college right after my dd was born, but only in the evenings so I could take care of her during the day. I also worked 30 hours a weekend to pay for necessities. During this time I did live with my parents, but I was the one to care for my dd all of the time. Her bio father never helped in any way, including child support.

Okay, off subject, I guess, but the point is, even though I had my parents' support, my life still was not easy. I didn't want anyone else taking care of me or my daughter.

Now, you have your baby, the government and your family takes care of your baby for you, and you never learn any responsibility. There definitely aren't enough consequences.

And even though I don't ever want my daughter to feel she is a mistake, we have had many discussions about it being the right thing to do, and how much more difficult life was with my choices.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 09:22 pm:

That's an awful lot of girls pregnant all at the same time. At my kids' high school, I only saw a few here and there, that have been pregnant.

I would have been DEAD, if I'd gotten pregnant. I never wanted to tell my parents I was pregnant, especially in high school.

My kids weren't/aren't into the boys at school. So, I haven't really had to deal with all these issues. We have talked about how sex is better to be had, after you are married.

By Luvn29 on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 10:03 pm:

Wow, Dawn! Your girls aren't into the whole dating thing yet? Enjoy it while you can because as old as they are, it won't be long! LOL!

My dad didn't speak to me for months, not until the pregnancy became life threatening. Then he was there for me.

The worst part for me was disappointing my mom and dad. And telling my sister...she's 8 years older than me and had been married for several years and was unable to get pregnant. That was very hard for me.

By Rayelle on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 10:49 pm:

The idea of teenage girls conspiring to get pregnant together is absurd. I believe they did it, it's just ridicuolous. It is different to become pregnant and then do what you have to do to make a life for your child then to plan on having a baby to use as a fashion accessory. I think pregnancy and babies are overly romanticized and glamorized no matter what the age. I know as a grown woman how bad I feel when a celebrity mom can pop out a baby and be Playboy ready a few weeks later. Or that I didn't have a designer nursery, etc. I know how unrealistic it is, how much help/pressure they have and honestly I don't look to celebrities to influence my life. But you hear about them anyway if you don't live under a rock. I can also see some idiot girl thinking she'd rather be pregnant than fat.

I had my kids young. I never felt like people were judging me. I was married, happy and we didn't get assistance or anything back then. There's a big story there though believe me

By Rayelle on Monday, June 23, 2008 - 10:55 pm:

Adena how old is your dd? I'm starting to think of how in the world I can make my kids understand how hard it is to have kids without making them feel like they shouldn't be here. How to let them know it's better if I find out she's on the pill rather then pregnant without making sex okay? My mother definitely did not set a good example in that department with me.

By Luvn29 on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 11:33 am:

My daughter will be 12 on July 18. I was 17 only by three months when I had her. It's a fine line to walk. I let her know that while I was ready to be a mom, and was happy about having her from the very day I found out, it is still a choice I would advise her not to make. I explained that while I was ready for the responsibility of having a baby, not many people my age would be. I also explained that it makes life much more difficult than if you waited to have a baby. You have to put things that you may want on hold. I've explained how much easier life will be for her if she gets her education and lives her life for herself before having a baby.

We talk about everything very casually. We have many conversations, and thankfully, we have a very open relationship.