The Westbrook School Department has been talking a lot about teenage pregnancy lately. We’ve been told that there is “a 14 percent increase” and “that’s why 2 and 13 year olds need to be taught about condoms.” Well, anyone can look at a stack of numbers and pick out one or two that tell their side of the story. Some of us would rather see the whole picture.
So, I asked for a copy of all the numbers. It took about a month, but I did get a package in the mail last week from Sandy Hale, MPH at the school. MPH stands for Masters of Public Health, and means that this person knows a thing or two about health numbers.
At the school Community Forum last month, I picked up a chart
about “teen pregnancy” that Ms. Hale had brought to the meeting. Since she was talking about giving condoms to 12 and 13 year olds, I figured that her “teen pregnancy numbers” meant at least some of the problem was with these youngsters.
Well imagine my surprise to find out that the only numbers in the package were for older teens, aged 15 to 19. I guess that goes to show something about health numbers.
I looked through the package again, very carefully – not one
word about junior high age kids. So I went on the internet and
visited the Maine State Health Department. Dr. Dora Mills in Augusta reports that kids under 15 make up about 1 percent of all teen pregnancies in Maine. Only 1 percent!
Think about this. How could anyone change a 14 percent increase by treating 1 percent of the patients?
Dr. Mill’s latest numbers also tell me that Westbrook teen pregnancies have been coming down lately. Around 30 total for all girls 19 and under during the last year reported. Multiply 30 by 1 percent and you get about one-third of a pregnancy per year for kids under 15. That’s one every three years.
So if Westbrook is running at one pregnancy every three years among kids under 15, why is Sandy Hale recommending that we teach condoms to every 12 and 13 year kid at Wescott Junior High?
I hope you’ll excuse my curiosity, but I still have a few more
questions for our School Department.
George Rodrigues
Westbrook
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