Study Looks At Solutions To Teen Pregnancy

Here's the problem, twelve young women in Spartanburg County are getting pregnant each week.

According to Chrissy Calvert with Reach Upstate that is too many.

"When you have this kind of information thrown in your face it makes you say okay we have to do something else."

A new study in Spartanburg County took a look at the problem and what can be done about it.

She claims, "We have to be willing to look at it as a health issue rather than the ethical and moral issue."

The study suggests one big change we can make is teaching research based, age appropriate, comprehensive health instead of the abstinence only approach currently taught in schools.

Calvert says, "Comprehensive means that it is going to provide abstinence information, but it is also going to provide contraceptive information and its information not just saying what's out there but how to use it and what to do with it and giving them options."

The study also found there needs to be a long term organized effort to help parents address youth sexuality and sexual decision making.

Nedonna Pender had Reach Upstate speak to her 13 year old because she says talking to your children can be tough.

"No matter how good of a relationship you have with them or think that you have with them they are only going to tell you so much."

She says she teaches abstinence but she wants to make sure her daughter has the right information.

She says, "Growing up Southern Baptist you are just taught you don't do it that is it. You know no discussion. But at the same time you can't be naïve."

According to the study, since churches have a big influence on our young people, we need to get them in on the fight. The study group wants to reduce the number of pregnant teens from 641 a year to 224 or less by 2020.

Dr. Charles Jackson, III with Cornerstone Baptist Church agrees churches need to address sexuality.

According to Dr. Jackson, "I think sometimes we worship with blinders on. We think that sex is not in our churches. We see children that are pregnant."

He says the churches can teach abstinence and sexuality at the same time.
He urges parents in his congregation to decide how much to tell their children, but to be realistic about it.

Dr. Jackson says, "Smart children do things in a smart way. I found out that a lot of children who are beta club honor role students they are doing the same thing. It is just some children get caught others don't."

The study results say it is a community wide problem and leaders, schools, churches and parents need to come together under one campaign to work together to reduce this problem. If we don't the future results could be devastating.

Calvert says, "This affects us economically, our young boys we know they are more, likely to end up in jail if born to a teen parent. We know our girls are more likely to become teen parents themselves. It is really a whole cycle."
In order to change, we are all going to have to take part in breaking the cycle.