The new trend? Teen girls and pregnancy pact

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 2:22pm

GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts (AP) -- A pact made by a group of teens to get pregnant and raise their babies together is at least partly behind a sudden spike in pregnancies at Gloucester High School, school officials said.

Principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine in a story published Wednesday that the girls confessed to making the pact after the school began investigating a rise in pregnancies that has left 17 girls at the school carrying a child. Normally, there are about four pregnancies a year at the school.

Sullivan told Time that nearly half of the expecting students, none over 16, were involved. Sullivan said students were coming to the school clinic multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and "seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were."

Some of the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers, Sullivan said. One of the fathers "is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told the magazine.

Superintendent Christopher Farmer confirmed the deal to WBZ-TV, saying the girls had "an agreement to get pregnant."

He said the girls are generally "girls who lack self-esteem and have a lack of love in their life."

The rash of pregnancies has shaken the seaside city about 30 miles north of Boston. Last month, two officials at the high school health center resigned to protest the resistance from the local hospital to the confidential distribution of contraceptives. The hospital administers the state money that funds the clinic.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/20/pregnancy.pact.ap/index.html

Updated On: 6/20/08 at 02:22 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 2:29pm

"The rash of pregnancies has shaken the seaside city about 30 miles north of Boston. Last month, two officials at the high school health center resigned to protest the resistance from the local hospital to the confidential distribution of contraceptives."

What does the availability of contraceptives have to do with anything? These girls had made up their minds they were going to get pregnant so whether contraceptives were available or not is really not important to the story.

Updated On: 6/20/08 at 02:29 PM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 2:30pm

"Some of the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers, Sullivan said. One of the fathers "is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told the magazine."

I'm sorry but I find this totally hilarious. Sounds like something out of a John Waters movie.

Updated On: 6/20/08 at 02:30 PM

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 2:34pm

I hear ya, Borstal. It's funny and sad all at the same time.

From the TIME story - reality check from a graduate of the school:
Amanda Ireland, who graduated from Gloucester High on June 8, thinks she knows why these girls wanted to get pregnant. Ireland, 18, gave birth her freshman year and says some of her now pregnant schoolmates regularly approached her in the hall, remarking how lucky she was to have a baby. "They're so excited to finally have someone to love them unconditionally," Ireland says. "I try to explain it's hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 a.m."
Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High - TIME

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 2:49pm

I think this is pretty disturbing. I mean, I'm going to be 24 tomorrow, and I don't even think I'm ready for that yet. It is definitely not on my list of things to do right now anyway.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:00pm

Oh, and Goth, I agree. The availability (or lack thereof) of contraceptives isn't the problem here. These girls were determined, and weiners are pretty much available everywhere. (So I've heard.)

... which makes me think of this: Did the guys involved know what was going on? If not, I wonder how the girls convinced them to not use condoms? (Even assuming that the guys offered to use them.)
Updated On: 6/20/08 at 03:00 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:04pm

Yes, these girls were determined, yet when I watched the story about this on the news this morning, someone was reporting going after the guys for statutory rape. I'm sorry, but sounds like both parties were responsible for this.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:11pm

they should make this into a Broadway musical!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:14pm

I guess "taking a chuck of homeless guy spunk" is the new "cutting" for angst-y teens.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:26pm

Thank you, Juno, for making pregancy the new Abercrombie & Fitch.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:32pm

Let's not blame the movie. After all, the girl Juno in the movie gives the baby up for adoption to someone better able to raise it.

Let's blame these brainless gals who get knocked up without the slightest idea of what they are in for.

Updated On: 6/20/08 at 03:32 PM

[nitwit]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:34pm

damn how fugly was the chick who had to do it with the homeless dude.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:36pm

If these girls were at all inspired by JUNO, then they didn't watch the film very closely.

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:37pm

This is terrible. How can they not see how this will affect their lives forever? Its like they think its a game. Can't they see that this will put an end to most of the dreams they've ever had? That they'll never be able to go to college or get a decent job, or at least not for a looooong time?

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 3:37pm

VTGirl - what about Juno made teen pregnancy fashionable?

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:09pm

Juno glamorized teen pregnancy and gave off a skewed perspective of kids who get pregnant actually go through. In its quest to be "indie" and cool, it totally gave up any flicker of realism that it could've carried. That's all well and good when you're making a film for the Sundance crowds, but not so much for the Myspace kids who are going to carry with them, on one level or another, the idea that it's okay to get pregnant and everything is going to be okay and that the father will still be sitting next to you playing guitar when it's all over. It intimated that even if you DO happen to get knocked up, it's all gonna be okay - you don't have to face real consequences, like being disowned by your family or the father disappearing as soon as he hears the good news.

I'm not saying that pregnancy films are solely to blame for this event. I mean, the parents here have got to take most of the blame - if you're not aware that your kid is out there getting pregnant by some homeless dude, there's definitely a communication problem within your family. But a movie like Juno isn't exactly solving any problems.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:14pm

But the movie JUNO isn't exactly causing the problems either. Don't blame art for life's problems.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:15pm

OK, nitwits post cracked me up.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:17pm

I personally don't think Juno had anything to do with it. These girls made choices, which was based upon "the cool thing to do."

I think this is a very important statement: "I try to explain it's hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 a.m."
The fact is, the girls don't think that far in advance. This is what they feel they "need" to do to be cool and part of the group.

These girls had a pact to get pregnant; they were determined. Contraceptives were never even a thought which is proven by the statement "students were coming to the school clinic multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and "seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were."

[StockardFan]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:19pm

When I was in school they weren't conducting pregnancy tests in the school clinic.....

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:20pm

"Normally, there are about four pregnancies a year at the school."

And that's okay?!

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:20pm

Blame blame blame.

I blame society for being so friggin' uptight about sexuality that no one teaches it, no one talks about it, so kids are left to learn on their own.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:21pm

Orrrrrr maybe they're just endlessly needy, sociopath half-wits who deserve whatever fate they seek out for themselves whether its a retarded child or an STD. Whatever the case, I don't think this represents the modern teenagers mind-set and I don't think it represents a "trend".


Generation Y. They're dumb, but they're not THAT dumb.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:22pm

"One of the fathers "is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told the magazine."

Sucks to be that kid. Can't you see it now when that kid gets to kindergarten.

Teacher:What does your dad do?
Kid #1: My dad is a fireman
Teacher: And how about your dad?
Kid #2: My dad is a banker
Teacher: And how about yours?
Kid #3: My dad is that homeless guy that walks around asking for change.

I mean honestly, the girl that had sex with the homeless guy, was there no one else available like the fat tuba player in the band or the president of the Star Trek club?

I think it's disgusting that girls under the age of 16 planned this all out. I think it's just wrong.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 6/20/08 at 4:23pm

Glinda, I'm certainly not thinking any teen pregnancies are ok, but I think 4 is probably pretty low. I used to teach at a school where there were 7 girls in ONE class that I taught that either had a child or were pregnant. Very sad.