LIHU‘E — May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Hale ‘Opio brought this fact home by hosting a teen health fair Friday night at the Kukui Grove Center exhibition area near The Jam Room. The teen health fair, coming on the
LIHU‘E — May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Hale ‘Opio brought this fact home by hosting a teen health fair Friday night at the Kukui Grove Center exhibition area near The Jam Room.
The teen health fair, coming on the heels of the DARE Day graduation, brought together Life’s Choices from the Mayor’s Office and the Smoke Free Kaua‘i people, and focused on teen pregnancies.
“Teen pregnancy prevention is a community effort to raise awareness about teen pregnancy and the need for effective, comprehensive teen pregnancy programs,” said Mary Ann Ornellas, outreach educator at Hale ‘Opio.
“Current statistics support the fact that Hawai‘i’s teen pregnancy rate is higher than the national average, and Kaua‘i is not new to this program,” she said.
Mothers under the age of 15 recorded 15 births in Hawai‘i in 2008, according to Hawai‘i State Department of Health Vital Statistics 2008 data.
This number increased to 432 births for mothers between the ages of 15 through 17 and jumped to 1,193 births for mothers aged between 18 and 19 years old.
Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islanders and Filipino youth have the highest number of teen births in Hawai‘i, with Hawaiians accounting for 58 percent of teen births and Filipinos 18 percent, far out of proportion with their population, according to the DOH report.
Kaua‘i, in the statistics, recorded 584 births between 2001 and 2007.
This compares with Hawai‘i County which recorded 1,950 births, Maui County with 1,310 births and Honolulu which showed 7,024 births.
“Mind you, this is based on a 2008 report and only shows births which were recorded,” said Mary Ann Racca.
An updated analysis from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy shows that teen childbearing in Hawai‘i cost taxpayers at least $37 million in 2008.
During the teen health fair, the different agencies were ready for interactive activities with the steady stream of young people flowing through the area with prizes available for participating.
“This is a time when Kaua‘i can come together to emphasize the importance of a strong partnership between the community and the family in helping young people develop responsible and healthy attitudes about sexuality and enhance decision-making skills which lead to positive life choices,” Ornellas said.
Her message was echoed by the other agencies present.
One mother who watched her children visit each of the tables said she was planning to go home and have a sobering talk about teen pregnancies with her children following the event.
During the month-long awareness campaign, Hale ‘Opio is running a slogan contest through the end of May with an overall prize of $60.
Additionally, Hale ‘Opio will be teaching two evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention classes.
One of the classes is based on abstinence only and the other addresses abstinence but also includes information about birth control.
For more information,
call Hale ‘Opio at 245-2873 and ask for Ornellas, or email her at mornellas@haleopio.org.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
