Group pushes law on sex-ed

NM also ranks at the bottom of the barrel in academics, what are they going to do about that? I don't hear too much talk about improving the curriculum for those students who can't seem to read or write? Teens today KNOW what prevents pregnancy, they just don't/won't use contraceptives to avoid pregnancy. Must be a cultural thing?

This is huge BS. Where are the parents? They should be giving this education not the school. My parents gave it to me, their parents gave it to them. Why to people have kids they do not want to raise the correct way. They would rather have them running the streets having sex doing drugs and shooting people. Parents get a grip on your kids. Kick their asses when they do wrong.

The article got it right when they suggested that the problem is culutral in nature. Teen pregnancy is a cultural norm and expetation in much of this area. It should come as no suprise that the areas of the country with the highest levels of reservations and latino populations have these types of problems.

Obviously abstinence only is not working in this state, I think that they should teach students about sex, sexual abuse, STD's, pregnancy ect in the schools. There are too many parents here who obviously are not doing their jobs to teach them, maybe we should make it mandatory in the schools. I personally know of several young girls who got pregnant at ages 14-16 who have each said that their parents wouldnt discuss sex with them because it was "dirty", or because their religion taught them that it was a bad thing. It has become pretty obvious that in this poverty state, leaving anything up to the parents to teach there kids isnt happening. The parents are too busy either being naive to what their precious babies are out there doing, or their too busy trying to get high or drunk, or any of a million other excuses that they have.

"Teenagers in our community are looking for services to terminate pregnancies in Mexico," said the woman, whose friend's daughter was a friend and classmate of the pregnant girl. "Her mother just told me that story in relation to, "Gosh, what are our young girls facing?... Are we still living in these times? Our daughters don't feel that they have any option?'" ANSWER: How about teaching young girls some self respect so that they are not used and viewed by boys as only sex objects. Girls empower and educate yourselves so that you do not have to be enslaved by a pregnancy in your teens and the consequences that follow, ie. poverty and more abuse by some other person because they to will not respect you. And truly how about simply having self control. Seriously girls you are not sexy at this age and boys are just wanting a cheap quick thrill. They will not be around to truly "love you" at the end of quicky sex session relationship.

I hope the teen girls get better help this year than other years!

Again, let's add more parental jobs to the schools. Then when kids fail we can blame teachers and the schools for not doing their jobs. But, we will forget how many other chores we require teachers to do.
Until you change the third world mentality of the Mexican people here, the problem will never be resolved. It is the same problem w/ Mexican kids dropping out of school.
Next stop rewarding kids that have babies w/ benefits and full page stories in newspapers. Stop providing daycare and any type of financial assistance. I am for taking into custody any child born to a parent that is in public school. We pay for the child anyway, w/ money, inschool daycare, medical benefits etc. I would rather see these kids in state run homes than supporting useless parents that are going to continue reproducing to receive freebies. Make the parents go back to school, get an education and job then maybe we will give you your kid back. If you look around Dona Ana county it is almost impossible to see a female over the age of 21 that doesn't have a child and is on some type of assistance. It is pathetic.

Teen pregnancy is a problem everywhere and I think lack of parent involvement in sex education is the main culprit. Also, what happened to self-respect? I am a high school teacher in an area where few Mexicans live and we have the same problem. Parents have an obligation to talk to teenagers, boys and girls, about the consequences of having unprotected sex. Also, the government is to blame because it provides all these benefits- food stamps, free deliveries, day care, etc.,(the more babies you have, the more food stamps you receive and other assistance) Schools grant them leave of absence from school and we teachers have to plan extra lessons for them-it is not fair for teachers having to do these lessons and keep up with their education because they made a bad choice. Parents: teach your teenagers respect, dignity, self-control, and how to say NO.

Well I can say one thing about the blaming the school and parents. If the school kept a good count of where they are instead of letting them leave campus and watch them leave, we would not have alot of teen girls pregnant. If parents watch and not be afraid of their children they would be able to prevent alot of this too. The blame is to whoever didn't do the job and do it right! Now we all know we are parents to our young and to our old. We need to educate our own children, grandchildren and our childrens friends if need intervention. We can't just sit back and just watch and hope something changes. We can help prevent these things, because one day it will hit close to home. Make requirements before having the baby and after if needed assistance from the state, not just here you go and never contact them again. Young teens don't know what to do or want to do, so we have to give them a push.

Why are they counting 18 and 19-year-olds?

My wife was 19 when we had our first child and she got counted as a teen pregnancy. Imagine that, a married woman wanting to have a child and getting counted with pregnant high-schoolers. I think they are doing this on purpose to make the problem look worse than it is to push some agenda.

If they would only count teenage girls in high school, the problem would not look as bad and we wouldn't be hearing people push for new and unneeded legislation.

Yeah right! Like that is really going to work! Who are they kidding?

I have 2 daughters and neither had kids in high schools and we live in Dona Ana. But we spend time w/ our kids and talk to them. I am also very blunt and straight forward with my daughters. I made it very clear that there would be no pregnant middle or high school students living in my house, period.
If you feel you are old enough to open your legs and have sex, then be prepared to raise a family. My wife and I also put the onus on our daughters. We did not just empower them when it was convenient. We let them know that they control sex. If they say no, nothing happens. My wife is a strong outspoken person and was instrumental in letting our daughters know. They cannot have it both ways. They are in charge, equal and empowered all the time. They are not victims. Their bodies are not just theirs when they decide to have an abortion or a baby. It is theirs all the time no compromise.
There is another issue that is lost in this debate. That is the poor young men that get entrapped for the next 18 years supporting children they didn't want. They are the true victims in all this.
People never discuss the man that doesn't want a child and is forced into paying child support, whether he is partof the child's life or not.
Then you have the man that may want a baby and the female says no. Has an abortion and the man has no say.
So tell me who has all the power in these relationships. the minute society put a price tag on a child families and fathers became nonviable. We are a society that does not value fatherhood. We put too much value on motherhood especially with the completely incompetent females raising children today.

We don't need sex education or condoms in schools, we need to eliminate welfare!! make the parents of these teenaged girls pay for the babies. Need to adopt China's rule, two children, then snip snip. When are the american people gonna wake up. You give these teenagers everything and make them responsable for nothing.

Mike Dallas Texas wrote:

This is huge BS. Where are the parents? They should be giving this education not the school. My parents gave it to me, their parents gave it to them. Why to people have kids they do not want to raise the correct way. They would rather have them running the streets having sex doing drugs and shooting people. Parents get a grip on your kids. Kick their asses when they do wrong.

Your right on Mike

Robert wrote:

We don't need sex education or condoms in schools, we need to eliminate welfare!! make the parents of these teenaged girls pay for the babies. Need to adopt China's rule, two children, then snip snip. When are the american people gonna wake up. You give these teenagers everything and make them responsable for nothing.

May I add, make the boy and the parents of the boy also pay for raising of the child. If the boy refuses, or the parents refuse, and DNA proves he is the father, then a simple castration will keep him in check. Have a few boys lose their manhood, and you will see a lot of zippers stay up. If the girl gets an abortion, she automatically gets sterilized. Any girl that will kill her child, should not have a chance to kill again.

Mike Dallas Texas wrote:

This is huge BS. Where are the parents? They should be giving this education not the school. My parents gave it to me, their parents gave it to them. Why to people have kids they do not want to raise the correct way. They would rather have them running the streets having sex doing drugs and shooting people. Parents get a grip on your kids. Kick their asses when they do wrong.

Latino parents don't teach their children sex ed.

They are too repressed.

Freedom above all wrote:

Why are they counting 18 and 19-year-olds?
My wife was 19 when we had our first child and she got counted as a teen pregnancy. Imagine that, a married woman wanting to have a child and getting counted with pregnant high-schoolers. I think they are doing this on purpose to make the problem look worse than it is to push some agenda.
If they would only count teenage girls in high school, the problem would not look as bad and we wouldn't be hearing people push for new and unneeded legislation.

I would also like to know the numbers without 18 and 19 year olds included. Part of the problem is children want to be adults too early. Look at their role models...being sexy is still considered better than being smart.

Tony M wrote:

I have 2 daughters and neither had kids in high schools and we live in Dona Ana. But we spend time w/ our kids and talk to them. I am also very blunt and straight forward with my daughters. I made it very clear that there would be no pregnant middle or high school students living in my house, period.
If you feel you are old enough to open your legs and have sex, then be prepared to raise a family. My wife and I also put the onus on our daughters. We did not just empower them when it was convenient. We let them know that they control sex. If they say no, nothing happens. My wife is a strong outspoken person and was instrumental in letting our daughters know. They cannot have it both ways. They are in charge, equal and empowered all the time. They are not victims. Their bodies are not just theirs when they decide to have an abortion or a baby. It is theirs all the time no compromise.
There is another issue that is lost in this debate. That is the poor young men that get entrapped for the next 18 years supporting children they didn't want. They are the true victims in all this.
People never discuss the man that doesn't want a child and is forced into paying child support, whether he is partof the child's life or not.
Then you have the man that may want a baby and the female says no. Has an abortion and the man has no say.
So tell me who has all the power in these relationships. the minute society put a price tag on a child families and fathers became nonviable. We are a society that does not value fatherhood. We put too much value on motherhood especially with the completely incompetent females raising children today.

Those "poor young men" can say no too. The sons need to be taught to be responsible too. Every sperm you put in a woman can turn into a child.

LC Mom wrote:

<quoted text>
I would also like to know the numbers without 18 and 19 year olds included. Part of the problem is children want to be adults too early. Look at their role models...being sexy is still considered better than being smart.

I sort of found it -- here is data from 2005:

Doña Ana County teen births by age in 2005:

18 - 19 year olds: 373

15 - 17 year olds: 242

15 and under: 17

Total teen births in county: 632
Source: New Mexico Department of Health

I really got hit in the head with this whole situation back on New Years Day in, I believe, 2005.

You know how putting the "First Baby" on the front page of the newspaper was a joyous thing?

That year, there was momma, baby's abuela, and the first newborn baby of 2005.

The sperm donor was literally and figuratively out of the picture...never mentioned, and momma was married to him.

Oh...and momma was 16-years-old.

Oh...and it was MOMMA'S SECOND BABY!!!

I guess it's "a cultural thing".

What a bullllsheeeet excuse.