Teen pregnancy rate remains high

The number of girls in the CNMI between the age of 15 and 19 who get pregnant remains alarming, with each of the past four years posting over 100 teenage pregnancies.

According to statistics provided by the Department of Public Health during yesterday’s 3rd Annual Youth Summit, a total of 513 pregnancies were recorded between the years 2000 to 2003.

Last year, a total of 118 pregnancies were recorded—an increase of 13 cases compared with that of 2002, which had 105 cases. The numbers, however, were lower compared to the 151 cases recorded in 2001. About 139 cases were reported on 2000.

Statistics show that majority of the pregnancies, or about 175, were among 19-year-old women, while 143 cases were recorded with 18-year-old girls. About 101 cases were reported among 17-year-olds, 61 for 16-year-olds, and 33 for 15-year-olds.

Health educator Rose “Chailang” T. Palacios, a speaker at the summit, said the number is “very alarming” and urged parents to increase involvement in the lives of their children.

“It’s alarming in the CNMI and if the families don’t come together to communicate with their kids to find out what’s happening, we’re going to be having higher teenage pregnancy rates in the future, and in the end, the CNMI will become very poor,” she said. “In order to curb this, parents need to have time and kids have to have time to spend with the family…plus spirituality. They must have virtues, respect, caring, and family values. Lot of local boys and girls have babies very early, and by having babies early, [they] do not finish their education,

Palacios said the increase in teen pregnancy may result in the indigenous population suffering in the future.

“Our local indigenous group will be in the corner because they have so many kids and are unprepared, they have no education so we’re going to have to rely on foreigners to take over in many professions,” she said.

Rev. Francis X. Hezel, director of Micronesian Seminar who also spoke during the summit, agreed with Palacios, reiterating the importance of “family” in addressing the issue.

“Apparently, [pregnancy rate] is very high here,” he said. “I know now there are working moms and working dads and the kids are also busy, but I think it is serious enough that people in the society, the churches should sit down and consider these things. Are we spending enough time in providing the controls in the family? Are we cheating future generations?… We’ve got to slow down this rat race some way or another.”

Hezel, who operates in Pohnpei, disclosed that the Micronesian state has recorded about 24 teenage pregnancies between ages 11 and 14 years in the last six years.

“There’s clearly something wrong,” he said.

Suicide

Hezel also touched on other issues, including suicide, and again reiterated the importance of “family.”

“I was contrasting the old Saipan with present day Saipan, and there are changes, not just physical but also economic and population changes that have changed also the basic institutions of the culture of the society,” he said. “These changes have changed the shape of the family…it’s smaller, with only the mom, dad and kids, and many do not know their extended family.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but a problem is high suicide rate, and suicide happens because of problems with the families. What I mean is usually there’s problem…and you need somebody to comfort you, and Micronesians will generally go to someone in their family, so this change in the shape of the family has created certain problems and it puts pressure on the individual.”

Further, he said during “tense” times, individuals with problems within his or her immediate family may be able to seek comfort with their extended families, instead of turning to suicide.

The summit played host to students from various schools, and was sponsored by the CNMI Youth Congress, the Legislative Bureau, and Rep. Ray A. Tebuteb.