Babies Having Babies: The Teen Pregnancy Problem

Emily Curry, Sonny Luna, Valeria Saldana

Press ConferenceSonny

EmilyValeria

Dr. Realini

Rep. Mike VillarrealRep. Joaquin Castro

Kathy Miller

Interviews brought up:• Education • Teen Pregnancy

First Choice:• Education (children)

• Decided against• Couldn’t see ourselves doing it

Second Choice:• Teen Pregnancy

• Chosen • Family Histories• A local issue

First Community Service: Fiasco

Interviewing Our Community

Healy-Murphy CenterCommunity Service

• Downtown• Alternative high school for pregnant and parenting teens

What we did:• Helped in their “shop” • Office work• Engaged with teen moms

Statistics• 4.5% of teenagers today are married.• 80% of babies born to married teens were conceived

before the marriage.• Every year, 1 million teenage girls become pregnant.

Turner

Texas Statistics• Texas has the 3rd highest teen birth rate in

America, and the rate is rising.• Texas has the highest rate of 2nd and 3rd births

to teenagers, at 24%• Teenage childbearing costs Texas at least $1

billion a year. That’s higher than any other state.

JUST SAY don’t kNOw

•A study on Texas Sex Education attempting to uncover what kids are really being taught

• Found that kids are taught incorrect things like “%50 of the time condoms don’t work”

•David Wiley and Kelly Wilson – Authors•Study their study•Link: http://www.tfn.org/site/PageServer?pagename=JustSayDontKnow

Just Say Don’t Know

Mario Martinez• Director of Project W.O.R.T.H.• Interview

• “Causes” include home and school environment, media, and the information teens receive• Explained that a leading cause is home environment •No “solution” because “you can’t just go into homes”

• Offered assistance for anything we needed.

• Local - San Antonio• Creates and runs Sex Ed programs for

middle and high school students• Interview with Mr. Martinez• Community Service at Tafolla •Link: http://www.sanantonio.gov/health/PW-Main.html

Project W.O.R.T.H. (Working On Real Teen Health)

Dr. Janet Realini, M.D.

• President of the Healthy Futures AlliancePresident of the Healthy Futures Alliance• Ran Project W.O.R.T.H. for years• Stand up for Science—lobby day 2009• HBs 741 and 1567• BIGBIG DECISIONSDECISIONS

Healthy Futures Alliance

• Dr. Realini – founder and president• Local – San Antonio• 501(c)(3) non-profit, dedicated to helping

reduce teen and unplanned pregnancy. • Also promotes the BIGBIG DECISIONSDECISIONS science-

based sex ed. program, written by Janet Realini

• Lobby day, committee hearing

BIG DECISIONS

• Written by Dr. Realini• A comprehensive, science-based, abstinence-

plus, Active-Learning, Texas-Friendly sex education curriculum

• Used in NEISD, SAISD, Hays Consolidated School District, Brackett ISD, Edcouch Elsa High School

• Requested our input in Big Decisions

Lobby Day 2009

• Texas Freedom Network• Stand Up For ScienceStand Up For Science• Dr. Realini• Mario Martinez• Introduction to bills

Texas Freedom Network (TFN)

• Kathy Miller – President/Executive Director

• State organization with local branches• “A mainstream voice to counter the

religious right”• Organized Stand Up For ScienceStand Up For Science lobby day

Tafolla Middle School Community Service

•We contacted Tafolla Middle School, because we knew that Project Worth was having a sex education class at the time.•We participated (earning community service) by helping the sex education class understand teen pregnancy.

Testifying at the Capitol

• Dr. Realini invited us to testify at a hearing of the House Public Education Committee

• Our personal stories were important in our testimonies

• We attended a press conference hosted by the Texas Freedom Network

House Bill 741

This bill requires Abstinence-Plus sex education in public schools, with positive, medically correct information about condoms and contraceptives.

This bill requires that, if a public school district chooses to discuss condoms and contraceptives in their sex education program (they don’t have to), the information must be medically accurate, and may not discourage the use of condoms or contraceptives.

House Bill 1567

Sonny Luna’s Testimony in Favor of HB 741

Valeria Saldana’s testimony in Favor of HB 741

Emily Curry’s Would-Be Testimony in Favor of HB 1567

Donation Jars•We decided to put jars in stores to raise money to help teen moms.•The jars were located in some of the Culebra meat markets.

Bake Sale•We decided to call the sale “Muffins for Moms,” and we did it to raise money for the Healy-Murphy Center.•We decided to sell muffins, cookies, cupcakes, and donuts. •The jar donations and the bake sale were very successful; we raised $180.00 dollars in all.

• Led by ourselves• Inspired by our Austin trips• Goals: convince Senator Shapiro to push the

SB 1076 to the Education Committee. Outcome: • 13 letters sent to Sen. Shapiro• Awareness to peers that teens can make a

difference• Emily wrote to Senator _

Letter Writing

Example of LettersDear Senator Shapiro,

I am writing to request that the Senate Education Committee hear Senate Bill 1076, pertaining to accurate information in sex education programs in schools.

I think that kids need all the facts to make responsible decisions. This bill would require that information about contraception and disease prevention in sexuality education be scientifically accurate. It would also require that sexuality education classes not discourage sexually active people from using any form of contraception or method approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. The bill provides specific sources for determining whether information is scientifically accurate.

Thank you for your attention to the needs of the students of Texas.

Sincerely,

Shopping and Donating• Collected all our money and went shopping

• 500 diapers• 4 bags of maternity clothes• Toys• Diaper bag• High chair

• Donated to Healy-Murphy Center “Store”

257 diapers

Emily

Emily’s Mom

Emily Curry’s Personal Reflection

Sonny Luna’s Personal Reflection

Valeria Saldana’s Personal Reflection

Thanks to…• Dr. Janet Realini, MD• Mario Martinez• Senator Shapiro• Rep. Castro• Rep. Villarreal• Tafolla Middle School• Mrs. Bieser• Our Parents

BibliographyProject W.O.R.T.H. and Metro Health. Web.14 Apr 2009. http://www.sanantonio.gov/health/PW-main.html ."Just Say Don't Know." Texas Freedom Network. Web.14 Apr2009. http://www.tfn.org/site/PageServer?pagename=JustSayDontKnow .Wiley, David, Kelly Wilson. "Just Say Don’t Know." (2008): Print.Turner, Jeffery S. Dating and Sex Validity in America: a Reference Handbook. 1st Ed. Santa Barbra, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2003. Realini , Janet P. Big Decisions. 1st . 2006. Print.