Published: June 10, 2009 11:06 am      

Teen pregnancy rates on the rise

Ada — Rachel Miller stood in shock after viewing a 14-year-old’s MySpace page.

“It was more like you were looking at a college-aged girl’s profile and not a 14-year-old’s profile,” she said. “There’s some sort of pressure or something for them to act like that younger and younger.”

The site was filled with pictures of alcoholic beverages and very lewd pictures of the young girl.

“There were some seriously suggestive pictures and I was reading some of the comments the guys have given them, and that’s what they’re asking for,” she said.

They were asking for sex. And at such a young age, this behavior has caused a major problem for Oklahoma.

According to a 2007 National Vital Statistics Report, Oklahoma is one of only 10 states that has had “significant increases” in teenage pregnancy. The rate rose 10 percent, from every 54.2 teenagers of 1,000 pregnant in 2005, to 59.6 of 1,000 pregnant in 2006.

Miller is the director of House of Hope Pregnancy Care Center, a non-profit organization that has helped more than 5,000 clients since 1993 by counseling and comforting those who are going through an unplanned pregnancy. Miller said there is no way to track how many pregnant teens are in the local area, but she can see a very disturbing trend in the girls that have come through her doors.

“I’ve definitely seen an increase in lower ages,” she said.

She looked at the statistics report and realized it only covered 15 to 19-year-olds.

“There are some younger than that,” she said.

The center’s current 26 clients range from 13 to 20 years old. Miller said these girls made a choice, and will have struggles because of that choice.

“These girls are still in school,” she said. “We’re here to encourage them to stay in school. They are going to be growing up in probably poverty-level homes with a single parent.”

These challenges also pour out to others besides the mother.

“Unplanned pregnancy doesn’t just affect the mother, it’s affecting the father and it’s affecting both families,” Miller said.

Miller said some parents of these pregnant teens may have to face the ultimate challenge.

“Most of these girls are still living with their parents,” she said. “In some cases, the grandparents end up raising the children.”

Most of these teenage pregnancies occur outside of marriage. According to the same report, more than 1.6 million babies were born to unmarried women in 2006, the highest number ever recorded in the U.S. This increase follows a period of stability during the years 1998 to 2002. Miller said out-of-wedlock births make it even harder to raise a child.

“It seems like the girls are doing it on their own as far as parenting goes,” she said. “It would be good if they waited at least until marriage. Obviously, children do better with both parents in the home.”

Miller said part of the solution is abstinence education, but it seems the primary solution is to stop the permissive attitude parents have with their children.

“I think parents are even more accepting of it now for some reason,” she said. “I don’t get that, because if you’re starting to be sexually active at 12, 13, 14, then your chances are higher of being in that statistic of having STDs. That scares me to death.”

The public may help the House of Hope Pregnancy Center by sending donations to: 509 East 12th Street Ada, OK 74820, or if you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and need help visit the center Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or phone 580-332-4199.

Even though the donations will help, Miller said the ultimate solution to the problem is for the parents to step up and educate their kids.

“I believe it has to start in the home,” she said. I think families have to address the risks involved economically and emotionally and the toll the pregnancy can have.”