New Program Pays Teens Not To Get Pregnant?
posted by: Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux 18 days ago
I'm a junior at an expensive university, so I fully understand that college is pricey, and I'm all-too familiar with the diverse range of scholarships available to people who may have trouble paying (myself included). But this new scholarship idea is something I've never heard of before. A controversial North Carolina program called "College Bound Sisters" pays young women $1 a day, with the money available upon their enrollment in college, as long as they don't get pregnant while in the program.
The participating girls are the sisters of teen mothers, who are statistically at a higher risk of becoming teen mothers themselves. The girls are divided into two groups (aged 12 to 14 and 15 to 18) that meet separately once a week for goal-setting, college planning, and sex ed. The sex ed portion of the program is not abstinence-only, so the girls receive information about birth control and safe sex (which does not sit too well with some, although it's a huge relief to me).
The founders of the program came up with the idea when they were working as maternity nurses. They said that although it raises some eyebrows, paying teens not to get pregnant makes sense - Dr. Hazel Brown, one of the co-founders, said, "When I was doing maternity nursing, the girls would always say, 'It hasn't been such a big deal in my family, because my sister already had a baby.'" And although they admit that many of the girls enter the program because of the financial incentive, they stay because of the support they receive and the opportunity to get a college education. "You can't work toward a negative," Brown points out, "so saying 'Don't get pregnant' isn't good enough. This program gives them something to work toward."
Apparently Planned Parenthood employs some of the same incentive-based in programs designed to prevent second adolescent pregnancies. In North Carolina, Planned Parenthood will offer gift cards, CDs, or things for their children to teenage mothers to prevent them from becoming pregnant again. Wendy Amundsen, the vice president for education at Planned Parenthood Health Systems, says that this strategy is effective. "In North Carolina, if the mom becomes pregnant at 16, she has a 27 percent chance of getting pregnant again before 19," Amundson says. "[Incentivizing teens not to get pregnant] works. Over the 15 years of the program, we have only had six repeat pregnancies out of an estimated 540 teens."
College Bound Sisters has an impressive success rate: Only six girls of the 125 enrolled for six months or longer have become pregnant. About 40 have already finished high school, and 10 have graduated from college. And admittedly, it seems to be a good way to provide more money and support for women who may not have the resources to attend college.
But Jessica Wakeman at the Frisky and Jill Filipovic at Feministe both have legitimate criticisms of the program. Wakeman writes that this effort is just a "Band-Aid solution for a small group of girls," while Filipovic points out that the focus should be on "helping teenagers — and that includes teen mothers. Mama or not, girls should be able to go to college. Too many teen moms are forced out of school, or assumed from the get-go to be lost causes. Programs like this don’t help."
I have to say that I agree with Filipovic - while it is admirable that this program is helping to make sure that pregnancies are planned and wanted, it does nothing to lessen the stigma against teen mothers, or to help teens who have had babies go to college. These women are often the ones who need the most help, and here they are being totally neglected. I also question why so much of the onus for teen pregnancies is being placed on girls - shouldn't there be programs for boys about safe sex and birth control, even though they're not the ones who are actually getting pregnant?
What do you think? Do you think that this is an effective program, and should it be expanded? And should the government fund programs like this that discourage teen pregnancy through cash rewards?
The participating girls are the sisters of teen mothers, who are statistically at a higher risk of becoming teen mothers themselves. The girls are divided into two groups (aged 12 to 14 and 15 to 18) that meet separately once a week for goal-setting, college planning, and sex ed. The sex ed portion of the program is not abstinence-only, so the girls receive information about birth control and safe sex (which does not sit too well with some, although it's a huge relief to me).
The founders of the program came up with the idea when they were working as maternity nurses. They said that although it raises some eyebrows, paying teens not to get pregnant makes sense - Dr. Hazel Brown, one of the co-founders, said, "When I was doing maternity nursing, the girls would always say, 'It hasn't been such a big deal in my family, because my sister already had a baby.'" And although they admit that many of the girls enter the program because of the financial incentive, they stay because of the support they receive and the opportunity to get a college education. "You can't work toward a negative," Brown points out, "so saying 'Don't get pregnant' isn't good enough. This program gives them something to work toward."
Apparently Planned Parenthood employs some of the same incentive-based in programs designed to prevent second adolescent pregnancies. In North Carolina, Planned Parenthood will offer gift cards, CDs, or things for their children to teenage mothers to prevent them from becoming pregnant again. Wendy Amundsen, the vice president for education at Planned Parenthood Health Systems, says that this strategy is effective. "In North Carolina, if the mom becomes pregnant at 16, she has a 27 percent chance of getting pregnant again before 19," Amundson says. "[Incentivizing teens not to get pregnant] works. Over the 15 years of the program, we have only had six repeat pregnancies out of an estimated 540 teens."
College Bound Sisters has an impressive success rate: Only six girls of the 125 enrolled for six months or longer have become pregnant. About 40 have already finished high school, and 10 have graduated from college. And admittedly, it seems to be a good way to provide more money and support for women who may not have the resources to attend college.
But Jessica Wakeman at the Frisky and Jill Filipovic at Feministe both have legitimate criticisms of the program. Wakeman writes that this effort is just a "Band-Aid solution for a small group of girls," while Filipovic points out that the focus should be on "helping teenagers — and that includes teen mothers. Mama or not, girls should be able to go to college. Too many teen moms are forced out of school, or assumed from the get-go to be lost causes. Programs like this don’t help."
I have to say that I agree with Filipovic - while it is admirable that this program is helping to make sure that pregnancies are planned and wanted, it does nothing to lessen the stigma against teen mothers, or to help teens who have had babies go to college. These women are often the ones who need the most help, and here they are being totally neglected. I also question why so much of the onus for teen pregnancies is being placed on girls - shouldn't there be programs for boys about safe sex and birth control, even though they're not the ones who are actually getting pregnant?
What do you think? Do you think that this is an effective program, and should it be expanded? And should the government fund programs like this that discourage teen pregnancy through cash rewards?
Read more: womens rights, teen pregnancy, college bound sisters, affording college, teen mothers
comments
Well It is the new trend for teens lets get prego people like oprah & tyra banks had shows on it. Though I am not for handing one condoms or birth control to me it says its ok to have sex go ahead.
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Melissa wrote:
Sure some girls think they want a baby and will purposely get pregnant, but they are in the extreme minority
There are approximately 750,000 teen girls who get pregnant every year in the U.S.
I hardly call that a minute number at all.........Those babies will grown up more than likely do the same thing. It is a repeat performance handed down generation after generation especially among the poor whites & minorities.
Bribe em long enough they may come to their senses & see the light.........Babies do not pay the bills or allow you to stay out all night.
Knock on wood-Plant trees for life................
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Isn't it a waste of money to give cash to teens, when so many families are in need right now? Most teen pregnancies are not planned or wanted. How about we just teach them how to avoid getting pregnant by using birth control, condoms, abstinence, and so on? I just don't think it is a good idea to bribe them, that method always backfires with my kids, but sometimes the negative effect is not seen for quite some time.
I was taught about various birth control methods starting about age 12 and it did not cause me to be promiscuous. As a matter of fact, I did not start having sex until I was 18 and I used protection until I was married and trying to get pregnant. Even after being married for 9 years, I have never had an "oops" pregnancy. My mom made sure I knew what I needed to know in order to plan a family instead of having one just happen to me. Sure some girls think they want a baby and will purposely get pregnant, but they are in the extreme minority.
Give teens the tools they need to avoid pregnancy and you will see a dramatic decrease in babies having babies. Perhaps this program is providing tools and education and that is why they are seeing the success, in which case I think the payments are unnecessary and sends a horrible message to those who became mothers too soon and an even worse message to the babies of those young moms.
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Can I get paid for being married when I got pregnant?
And, will I get paid for my kids being twent years apart?
Knock on wood-Plant trees for life..................
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BTW, whatever happened to good ol' do it yourself? Yes, I am talking about the "M" word (for those of you who are too uptight for the actual word"
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Puh-leeze! YES we should take the money away from teens that get pregnant! That is the whole idea of this program!!!
A child cries and screams that they can't have a piece of candy after supper because they didn't eat it all, so we reward them with a piece of candy? That is what you are doing if you STILL give the teen that got pregnant the money!
If a teen gets pregnant, the money should definitely be taken away and then, in turn, the money should be donated to schools! We all know that there is a bunch of cuts being made in the school system! If we can't teach the kids, we have to help the rest of them!
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I like money. Where's mine?
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I am a bit concerned with Dr. Brown's saying that "you can't work toward a negative". But, isn't paying someone for NOT getting pregnant the same as just saying "don't get pregnant"? In, fact, I find it even more negative, since what looks like a positive reinforcement can turn easily into a punishment; in the end it sounds like "don't get pregnant or you lose the money". What kind of person/organization will take a subsidy away from a pregnant teenager?
It sounds a bit like the kind of conductivist training method you'd use on a puppy.
If you want to avoid teen pregnancies, give teens not only a voice and education, but alternative spaces/contexts for recreation. We criticize teens pregnancies but we fail to realize that many of them have few alternatives to live a healthy youth.
I'd like to make a study to see how many girls (and boys) who take part in comprehensive sports/cultural programs get pregnant. Sometimes it's about having a goal, a group of peers who think like you and support you, and a nice activity to keep you focused.
Also, I'd like to give teen moms a break, for once. Yes, teen pregnancies have a higher health risk, they might imply postponing goals certain goals like college and a career, and life gets certainly a lot tougher, but it's not impossible to fulfill your dream after you had a baby. I take my hat off for any lady who at 15 is selfless enough to care for another human being.
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Should children be offered monetary compensation for paying attention in school, for behaving, for acting like well mannered human beings, for treating others with respect ...... where will it stop? I think this is the most foolish idea I have heard in a very long time.
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This is so stupid I laughed out loud.
I find this offensive.
Just don't be a w****. It's not hard.
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