CITIZENS VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ON TEENAGE PREGNANCY
The Social Development Department hosted a panel discussion at the Valerie O' Thomas Community Center, Sea Cow's Bay, entitled "Teenage Pregnancy, what can be done to reduce it?" The discussion was part of an ongoing series, which is themed: "Community Education, a Tool for Empowerment," that will be carried out in the territory over the next few months.
About 30 concerned residents took part in Thursday night's panel discussion, which included six panelists and a moderator. Panelist Yocasta Smith became emotional as she shared her experiences as a teenage mom with the participants. Smith, who became pregnant at age fifteen, faced a barrage of challenges but did not succumb. Instead, Smith plans to further her education later this year in Santo Domingo and provide a better life for herself and her child. When asked if she knew about contraceptives at the time she was impregnated and where they could be obtained Smith sighed and said, "Not really."
Sex education in the schools and a mandatory reporting law were sited as some of the solutions to reduce teenage pregnancy in the BVI. Changes in society, low self esteem, poor parental skills, the media, child molestation and flaws in the law were discussed as major contributors to the current situation that the territory faces. Senior Social Worker RoseAnn Richards said that there would be a follow up to the panel discussion next month entitled "Providing Educational Opportunities for Teenage Mothers." She strongly encouraged residents to speak out on the topic of teenage pregnancy and to become more involved in their children's lives.
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