Mississippi Teen Births Increase

A new federal report names Mississippi as the state with the largest increase in teen pregnancy. MPB's Lawayne Childrey examines why and how the trend might be reversed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control in 2006 Mississippi's teen pregnancy rate was more than 60% higher than the national average. That's not shocking news for Dr. Harriet Hampton, an OBGYN specializing in adolescent female care at University Medical Center.

"Adolescence start sexual activity at a young age. Many do not use effective contraception. And cause and effect is not put together. They simply don't link the act to the outcome. the event, pregnancy, delivery and their future. They feel that if they have intercourse one time nothing happens they are safe again. They don't understand the biology of reproduction when conception can occur and the appropriate methods to protect it".

While shopping for healthy nutritious foods for herself and her children Daphne Taylor says turning a deaf ear to her parents advice is why she became pregnant at just 15 years old.

"When you that age that was all guys be looking for, sex. They not looking to help or take care of no kids they just want what they want at the time but mama was telling me that at the time but I wouldn't listen".

Now the 21 year old mother of three is expecting her fourth child in June. Taylor says becoming a teen parent altered the course of her life in ways she never imagined.

"Like getting a job, couldn’t go to prom or stay in school. you know I had to stop going to school and take care of my kids. My mom said I made my bed now I got to lay in it".

In order to reduce the number of babies born to teens, Dr. Hampton believes education is critically important.

"I personally believe at the school level as well as the home level. Contraception needs to be promoted as a safe effective means of preventing pregnancy in adolescence who choose to be sexually active. The major difference between our country and other developed countries in the actual rate of teen pregnancy relates not to onset age of sexual activity but the use of contraception".

Mississippi does not require students to receive instruction in HIV, STD or pregnancy prevention. However districts choosing to offer sex education in high school must include abstinence as the focus. Non abstinence education may be taught with the approval of a majority vote by the local school board.
But for 19 year old Shasheka Hughes of Jackson abstinence was never an option because she and her boyfriend were planning to have a baby.

"But it kind of snuck up on me. it wasn't supposed to be this soon it suppose to have been years on down the line but it happened. I'm not upset just surprised that it happened so soon".

Hughes believes she may have been influenced by her peers.

"I just had a lot of friends that were stressed and they feel like, well when their child gets here they won't have to worry about that anymore because loves them and somebody loves them back".

In Mississippi every 68 births out of a 1,000 were to women ages 15 to 19. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.