16 and pregnant

So this morning I was watching this TV show that's been out for awhile called 16 and Pregnant which displays how it is to be pregnant at a young age. Even though this show has been out for so long I never really payed attention to it, but this morning I could not stop watching. So The first episode I watched was about a young black girl who had dreams of going off to a good college and becoming an English teacher for underprivileged kids. Her boyfriend was the star of the football team and had dreams of going off to college on a scholarship he gained from playing football. So long story short, she got pregnant and both of them had to put their dreams on hold. They got married because she was pregnant and they were living with his mother who was not happy with her at all. Then I watched another episode which I didn't get to finish but I got to see enough in the second episode. There was a young white girl who was still in high school and so was her boyfriend.Now the differences I noticed in these two episodes besides the color of their skin was what each girl admitted that they knew about having sex. The young black girl admitted that she didn't know anything and that they had used condoms until one time while having sex the condom broke and she was just following his lead because he was her first and she didn't know anything and she was disclosing this information to her friends who didn't say why didn't you use birth control or did you explore your other options like adoption or abortion i was just disgusted but not surprised at that conversation and not only that the boy friends mother was just horrible she placed all the blame on the girl for the situation and then went as far as to tell the girl that she needed to see a DNA test as if her son didn't participate in the actions it took to get someone pregnant. Last time i recall it takes two. So in the episode with the white girl she was having a conversation with her friends also on how she got pregnant and the difference was that her friends said to her I mean what happened you weren't using condoms or birth control there are all kinds of ways this could have been prevented. Which tells me that they had access to sex education and preventative services that they chose not to use where as the black girl didn't. Also instead of the white girls parents judging her and blaming the boy or the boy parents judging her and blaming her they came together collectively to get through the situation that was going on. It was just very upsetting to me seeing how the situation with the black girl played out verses the white girl. I know people get tired of hearing about how these things happen because of the differences made between races and classes but this fact will not stop being pointed out until it is no longer a fact and watching these two episodes lets me know that it still is and that is why i must continue to do the work I do even though it isn't always easy.Peace, Love, and Choice!

Another Year Approaches

As another year approaches I can't stress enough how important it is for our people to use our voices and stand up for what is right not only in the reproductive justice movement but in other aspects of our lives. Election time will be here before you know it and we have to be smart and know that our vote does count and know that you can never get what you want by being silent voluntary or involuntarily. So I just hope that as the new year approaches and the holidays pass when people are making those resolution that on that list will be taking a stand on more issues that affect us,because if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything.Peace,Love,and Choice.

How can something meant to be so beautiful be so dangerous?

Yes I'm talking about sex. I am literally scared about it since i have been researching the different STD's and STI's and with so many risk when you decide to take the step of sex you think people would talk about it more openly. I mean with less message about it being cool and not explaining how it can be a beautiful experience but also explaining the risk behind it. I mean looking at the statistics we have really high rates for HIV,chlamydia, herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases and the younger the age the higher the rates and allot of it is because lack of education. When will we get a handle on this situation.

Outreach

This past Saturday we headed to the west side and did what we call outreach getting out in the community and getting important info out to the people that it affects the most. It was a nice beautiful day and people were really positive. I really enjoy the work I do.

Whats the real issue?

While I'm glad that there has been more conversations within the House and Senate regarding either funding for comprehensive sex-education programs; or just its implementation into the schools systems, there is still those that are trying to force this abstinence only teaching upon us. I don't think that there is any argument against abstinence being the safest way to prevent unintended pregnancies and STD/STI's. However, the reality is that people are having sex and do so in an unhealthy manner. They are either misinformed or uninformed. So how is anyone comfortable with this? We live in a country where there are 39 births per 1,000 girl ages 15-19; or in a state like Illinois who takes the 1st and 2nd place for chlamydia and gonorrhea. These are our friends, neighbors, classmates, and acquaintances who are being affected. So it just seems like a no brainer to me to implement a comprehensive sex education program in schools where youth spend majority of their day. But apparently it's not, so whats the real issue?

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Democratic Bill Would Expand Grants for Comprehensive Sex Education

November 4, 2011 — House and Senate Democrats on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would provide federal grants to high schools and colleges for comprehensive sex education programs, The Hill's "Floor Action Blog" reports. The House bill (HR 3324) was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), while the Senate bill was introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

The Real Education for Healthy Youth Act would expand "age-appropriate comprehensive sex education programs" that are "medically accurate and evidence-based." The bill specifies that no federal funds would be given to programs that withhold information about HIV/AIDS, are "medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective," promote gender stereotypes, or are "insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of sexually active adolescents" or "the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender youth."

The bill also stipulates that grantees include information about abstinence, methods to prevent pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted infections, and how to avoid abusive relationships. Educational institutions that serve "needy students" and minorities would be given priority under the measure.

The bill would require HHS to measure the effectiveness of programs that receive grants. The assessment would evaluate whether students' behaviors changed as a result of the program and measure students' knowledge and skills in areas such as decision-making and condom use.

Lee said, "Research has shown programs that combine information about abstinence and contraception effectively delay the onset of sexual intercourse, reduce the number of sexual partners and increase contraceptive use among teens."

The bill does not recommend a specific funding level for the grants but would authorize appropriations deemed "necessary" to fulfill the bill's objectives (Kasperowicz, "Floor Action Blog," The Hill, 11/3).

Rights for All Except Women

Giving hospitals the "right" to deny women an abortion even if it's life saving is ridiculous. That's exactly what th U.S. House of Representatives have done. The anti- choice community is fixated on giving everyone rights, even a fetus, but fail to give women theirs. This has to stop. When will everyone realized that abortion is a personal decision, a choice for women to make. Please do not allow the U.S. Senate to pass this bill!