Gloucester, Massachusetts, Discovers Teen Pregnancy Pact
1,200 Student Body School Has 17 Pregnant Girls
Is Hollywood to blame for this pregnancy pact?
Is Hollywood glamorizing teen pregnancy? Some would say yes. After all, the pregnancy of teen idol Jamie Lynn Spears has been all over the television and print media. Movies such as Juno, depicting a pregnant teenage girl, also feed into glamorizing teen pregnancy. However, these 17 girls in the pregnancy pact do not have millions of dollars to raise their babies. One pregnant mother confessed that the father of her baby is a 24 year old homeless man. Many of these newly pregnant teen moms reacted to the news with great joy and, according to Principal Joseph Sullivan, were disappointed at a negative pregnancy test. Some of these girls returned to the school clinic multiple times for pregnancy tests.
Or is the economy of Gloucester to blame for the pregnancy pact?
Still others blame the pregnancy pact that these teenage girls entered into on the economy of the area. Gloucester, Massachusetts, population 30,000, is a small town that depended upon fishing for its livelihood. Over the past few years, the fishing industry has declined markedly and all but disappeared, mainly due to jobs going overseas. The job loss has had a profound effect on the community. Christopher Farmer, school superintendent, said in his interview with Time, "Many of our young people are growing up directionless."
Where do they go from here?
To add fuel to this fire, the Gloucester area is heavily Catholic. After administering 150 pregnancy tests by May and becoming aware of the teen pregnancy pact, the nurse and clinic director of the Gloucester high school began to advocate birth control, with or without parental consent. This met with extreme opposition and both resigned in protest on May 30. The elected school committee is set to vote on whether or not to offer birth control later this summer.
Published by Carly Hart
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- 17 girls, 4 times the number last year, are pregnant
- Many of the girls who entered the pregnancy pact are under the age 16
- Upon receiving the news of being pregnant, these girls were elated.
21 Comments
Post a Commentwhy should peole b so childish. learn how 2 take care of yur baby. nd parents stay bye yur child threw it all
THIS IS SO SLOW WHY U DO SOMETHING STUIPD AND CHILDISH AS MAKEING a pregent pact
this is to jewelsie. dont judge someone unless you've walked in there shoes. I was a teen mother. I finished high school and even went on to college where I am still currently at. I've never been on wlefare. No one has EVER taken care of my child financially except me and believe me he is well taken care of and loved. so to hell with your statistice. What these girls did was wrong but dont judge everyone else from them.
We should have a class in high schools on how they would car for a baby. maybe then they will learn
Although the pregnancy pact is now being questioned, there were a soaring number of teen pregnancies in that school and teen pregnancy is also the theme of many new shows on television (Baby Boomers) as well as recent films. Interesting article!
Sounds like a good place for a dirty old man, Ho-town MA
What these girls were thinking? Only they know. Even as adults we make these kinds of decisions. Best response was the 2020 comment, fact is this is, more of a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. Who says they are wrong in their pact? Yes, many teens raise children just fine. Think about it at one time our relatives raised kids in their teens and twentys. Who says they wont do just fine in raising them as a small community of their own. It just might work if they have the right mindset. I never had kids, as I resolved not too until I could support them myself. Yet, I also worked years and gave my taxes to help those who recieved government services. Now at thirty nine and several medical problems, I wanted my governments help. Between 18 and 49years, no children, single, you don't count. Disability, a laugh- four years and counting just trying to get what rightfuly mine. Who knows what tommorrow brings?They have to live with their decisions just as you and I do.
I agree with Jewelsie 100%. These irresponsible acts are draining this country. There are women that I know who were pregnant in their teens who didn't care one bit about the repercussions of their actions. They relied so heavily on the government (Medicaid) to fund everything that most working couples have trouble affording. Meanwhile, taxes are being paid by hard working individuals to support this ongoing nonsense. It is frightening how this is becoming the norm, and MANY people are too blame - the parents, the children, the media, the government, and so on. No one tries to fix the problem - everyone tries to patch it up. I know it is not easy, but whatever happened to abstinence as the first option, instead of throwing the pill and condoms out like it was candy. I know this world isn't perfect, but at the same time that doesn't mean that we all have to give up.
Statistically teenage mothers never finish high school, do not get adequate prenatal care, neglect the needs of the child, end up on welfare and WIC, etc. These young girls think that because they are good with a cousin or younger sibling they can handle their own child. What they do not understand is that when they have their own child they can't give it back. Sadly, the baby suffers the most. I think it is unfortunate Norplant is not given to avoid this problem. I am so tired of my tax dollars going to these stupid little girls who have no clue what it takes to raise a baby. If you can't raise it... and I mean support it with food, shelter, medical care, etc.. then keep your legs shut. Noone else should have to pay for your mistake and the cycle it will keep creating. Maybe if welfare was not an option and these girls had to rely on working to support a baby they would reconsider having one. Our government makes it to easy for teen mothers to have babies.
These teens will soon find out all the challenges that comes with taking care of another person.. life no longer is all about you.. every step that is taken from the point of deciding to get pregnant means you are not alone and your descions no longer only just effect you. Deciding where to put the blame for all of this isn't going to change the out come. In fact pulling together and giving these girls serious counceling and parenting classes - and asking why they decided to do this- will be more productive. And I am almost positive, when asked the question &they have to answer truthfully with some thought - most of them were not thinking. At this point stepping in to help guide them to better choices; keep the baby, give the baby up for adoption, etc... Because then they are aware of their actions. We just can' t keep going around and blaming.. It leads to laws which takes away more of our freedoms and inability to use common sense.