Planned Parenthood Challenged to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

By Joseph Young
WI Staff Writer
Thursday, October 19, 2006

One-year-old Zion Peters is a bundle of joy, and, of course, his grandparents dote over him.
  
Zion’s parents, Glenna Peters, 16, and Hamilton White Jr., 17, began their sexual relationship when Glenna was not quite 13-years-old, she said. Her older girlfriends were having sex and told her how good it felt. The pre-teen decided that she wanted to try it for herself. A little more than a year later, she was pregnant with Hamilton’s baby.

Glenna and Hamilton have split, but they have joint custody of Zion. Hamilton keeps Zion two weeks out of a month, and Glenna keeps him the remaining two weeks. Glenna said she doesn’t receive welfare payments, just Medicaid for Zion.
  
Glenna has a new man in her life. She has been involved with Josef for the past two months, though she has known him for three and a half years. Josef is 20-something, she said. “My mother knows how she was when she was a teen,” said Glenna. “We don’t like guys around our age.”
  
Glenna’s mother, Carla Peters-Nelson, 38, wasn’t happy with Glenna’s decision to have the baby. She didn’t put Glenna out of the house, but Glenna decided to go and live with her father. “After my son was born, she had to realize that my son was here,” said Glenna. “And an abortion wasn’t an option either.” 
  
For the past three and a half years Glenna has been involved with Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington’s Ophelia Egypt Teen Clinic and Program Center which aims is to prevent teen pregnancy. Glenna was two months pregnant when she became involved with the clinic. “We hoped to stop the second pregnancy,” said Irwin Royster, director for Outreach and HIV services for Planned Parented.
  
At last week’s press briefing in the downtown offices of Planned Parenthood, Jatrice Martel Gaiter, president and CEO, said, Planned Parenthood’s agenda is prevention. “Teaching student’s reproductive health education is not teaching promiscuity,” says Gaiter. “We preach absence first.”
  
Planned Parenthood will host its 8th annual awards luncheon and fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 20, noon-2:00 p.m., at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Northwest. Planned Parenthood will recognize supporters of its mission to prevent teen pregnancy, cervical and breast cancer and the spread of HIV/AIDS. 
  
Honorees this year include Barbara Ehrenreich, best-selling author and activist, Howard W. Stone, Jr., vice chair, Prince George’s County, Maryland School Board, and Sarah S. Brown, president, National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
  
Funds raised from this event will be used to curve teen pregnancy. For teens who are sexually active, Planned Parenthood’s teen clinic offers free birth control, including the pill, the patch, Depo Provera, Nuvaring, IUD, diaphragm and condoms.
  
The clinic serves more than 700 teens last year. Although teen pregnancy has declined in the District, the District still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation, according to Planned Parenthood officials. One out of every 10 teenage girls in the District became pregnant in 2003 – twice the national average. And 55.8 percent of girls and 73.6 percent of boys in D.C. high schools have engaged in sexual intercourse.
  
“I inform them on how to be safe when they are sexually active,” said Keanna C. Faircloth, resident health educator at the clinic. “My job is to draw them from becoming sexually active by educating them on the consequences of having sex too soon and not being protected while during so.”
  
Glenna said she has no plans to have another baby until she is married.

Prevent Teen Pregnancies

The following programs and services are available through Planned Parenthood of Washington, D.C.

Education Program and Training Topics

• Understanding Human Sexuality
• Adolescent Development/Puberty Changes
• Reproductive Health and Pregnancy Prevention
• Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention
• HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention
• Self-esteem/Dealing with Peer Pressure
• Dating Responsibility and Decision-making
• How to Talk to Your Child/Adolescent About Sexuality
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness
  
  

Youth Clinic Services

• Integrated Reproduction Health and Education Services for Teens (21 and Younger) During designated Hours Each Month
• Totally Free and Confidential
• Fun, Interactive Education Sessions on Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Birth Control
• Pregnancy Testing
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing and Treatment
• Emergency Contraception
• HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling
• Teen Friendly Environment with Food, Refreshments and Music
  
  

Center Activities

• Media Arts and Creative Writing – Diedre Gantt, a Writer Professor at Prince   George’s Community College, Conducts Creative Writing Classes, as Layout and Digital Editing Classes for Teens (M-F, 3:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.).
• Homework Help – Volunteers and Staff Provide Daily Homework Assistance for Local Middle and High School Students (M-F, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.). 
• Co-ed Book Club – PPMW Staff Conduct Weekly Discussions with Teens on Selected Books and Articles, Incorporating Required School Reading (M-F, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.).
• Man Talk – PPMW’s Program Center and Mental Health Staff Members Facilitate a Group Discussion for Ex-Offenders, Focused on Reproductive Health, Anger Management, Drug Resistance, Job Readiness, and Other Life Skills (T, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.).
• Letters To My Brother – A Male Adolescent Support Group Facilitated By Gus Johnson, a Member of the PPMW Mental Health Staff and Certified Addictions Counselor (T, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.).
• Sistas’ Support Group – PPMW’s Program Center and Mental Health Staff Members Facilitate a Group Discussion for Young women and Teens on Reproductive Health, Family-life, and Life Skills Development (W, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.).
• Mensfit – Located in the Program Center, This Local Nonprofit Provides Business Attire and Job Training to Men Seeking Employment. They also Supply Our Youth Peer Leaders with Dress Clothes and Refer Their Clients to Our Ophelia Egypt Clinic for Healthcare Services (M-F, 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.).
• Suited for Change - A Local Nonprofit Organization Providing Professional Suits for Plus Size Women, as well as Grooming, Self-Esteem Development and Job Readiness Training for Women and Teens at the Program Center (M-F, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.).
• Photography Club – James Greg, a Professional Photographer and Local Arts Activist, Volunteers His Time, Teaching Teens About Photography (T, TH, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.).
• Social Justice Discussion – Weekly Facilitated Discussions about Social Issues Affecting Teens in Their Community (T, TH, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.).
• HIV/AIDS Resource Center – Located in the Program Center and Sponsored by AHPP, this Program Provides Culturally Appropriate Books, Materials, Multi-media Programs, as well as 2 HIV Support Service Navigators to Assist Those Who are Infected or Affected by HIV/AIDS (M-F).
• Teen Clinic – Youth Peer Leaders and Educators Conduct Presentations on Reproductive Health Issues, While the PPMW Clinic Staff Provide Free Healthcare Services to the Participating teens (T, 4:00 p.m. – 6:000 p.m.).