Eva M. Clayton: “teenage pregnancy is indeed a serious problem, and many of us have been engaged in efforts to resolve that problem. The…”

“teenage pregnancy is indeed a serious problem, and many of us have been engaged in efforts to resolve that problem. The approach you take depends on where your own perspective is in assessing this critical issue. Teenage pregnancy not only is a problem for the teen parents and their immediate family, but it is, indeed, a problem for society. Some of us have been engaged in this for years. Yes, teenage pregnancy has gone up over the years, but to blame the title X program is really not to understand the complexity of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is the result of a premature act just like any other premature act that teens may involve themselves in where the consequences are less detrimental. It engages not only the family, it also engages the church and the community. Until we understand that young people want something to say yes to, they will always say yes to something, perhaps to whatever comes along, sometimes the wrong thing. We must provide positive options for them to choose. To try to correct this problem by blaming title X as the reason for the failure of society, the failure of parents to be engaged with the child, is certainly not to understand the complexity of the problem. We all should be concerned, all of society, just as there are things that all of us should do. I support parents being involved. I encourage family involvement.”