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Teen Pregnancy

Emergency Contraception in High Schools: Is It Always a Good Idea to Have a Plan B?

09/26/2012
Health, Local, News, Teen Pregnancy
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Plan B One-Step Emergency Contraception

In Case of Emergency | Plan B | http://www.planbonestep.com

So, in high school, a few things are clear. One is that there are kids having sex. Two is that there are kids not having sex. Three is that there are kids (in both of those groups) who don’t know what the hell they are doing. This is also true for college, btw.

We all make mistakes and decisions that aren’t always the best or safest for us, emotionally or physically. But for those in the having sex crew (or the everything but crew) some of those decisions can lead to STDs, HIV, or pregnancy. Condoms are the safest (cheapest, and easiest to get) bet for protecting as much as you can against all three, but there’s nothing wrong with having a backup  (the pill) or a back up to the back up, if you can afford it.

Unwanted diseases, well, you just get stuck with those. Some you can cure, others, not so much. Unwanted pregnancies, well, there you have some options. And the NYC Department of Education is trying to make one of those options more accessible.T

Word on the curb is that some New York City Public School students will now be able to get Plan B at their schools. Plan B is emergency contraception, a pill that you can take after having unprotected sex, or after whatever protection you used didn’t work, or after you’re raped,  to try to stop a pregnancy from occurring. It’s like back up to the back up. The trick is you have to take it within 72 hours (but the sooner the better) and it doesn’t always work.

The program is starting in 13 high schools and everyone seems to have an opinion. Some people are pissy because they say this encourages teens to have irresponsible (i.e. unprotected) sex; some people are supportive because they say teens need options and greater access,  and some don’t really feel a way about it, they just think it’s practical.

No one asked me my opinion, but am I for it? Hell yes. Am I a parent? Hell no. Does my opinion matter? Probably not, but I’ll share it anyway. Look, everything has pros and cons, but my opinion basically comes down to this- what is best for the young women this program is intended to serve? Greater Access. The end.

If you have any questions about what Plan B is, how it works and where you can get it. Here are some quick answers to help you get informed.

Whatever Happened to… Khalya Hopkins?

12/16/2011
Issues, My Story, Teen Pregnancy, the Bronx, Whatever Happened To...
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Khalya Hopkins

One of the most talked about articles in the first issue (and a fav with the GGE crew) was about Khalya Hopkins. If you haven’t read her story, you should, but in brief, she got pregnant when she was 14 (under some difficult circumstances) and didn’t let being a teenage mom stop her from finishing high school, going to graduate school and becoming a teacher. It wasn’t glamorous or easy, but she did it. Meeting her, talking to her and hearing her story, it’s not hard to understand why. She’s driven.

The first thing I noticed when I met Khalya, though, were her nails…and I had to ask her about them during our interview.  “In high school, the first year, you’re fresh meat,” she said. “Every guy is trying to bag you. The honors girls are the ‘it girls,’ if you’re cute, it was extra. We were in high demand.” After she had her daughter, though, things changed. “I was a real bum,” she said. “We went from 10 to zero on the radar, looking raggedy. It was a joke, our children were fly.”

"My parents told me, don't half ass anything," Khalya said. "That's my policy on everything."

Things started to pick up , she got a little money and she’d get her hair done. She started getting her nails done at 14 because she wanted to be creative. “In high school, your whole purpose in life is to out-do your friends, whether you say it or not. I wanted to be known for something other than my daughter.” So she let it be known that any guy she dated had to get her nails done. She started getting long tips in college and soon she became known for it, so she got as creative as she could. The reactions have been mixed- “That’s not professional,” and  “How can you work?” are common comments. There are people who want to take pictures and others who are repulsed. But Khalya says, “They’re not professional and I don’t ever pretend that they are, however, they are icebreakers,” and they get the conversation started. What she has to say is certainly worth it.

"You always want to have your own identity...if it's on your own terms, it's cool." Photograph by Valerie Caesar.

Some of the GGE girls really related to Khalya’s story (the boyfriend drama) and were happy to see her succeed. They also wanted to know how it ended—

Did her father’s boyfriend even get out of jail? Yes.

Are they back together? No.

What happened? Her parents tried to get her to reconcile with him because they wanted a traditional family unit and wanted to use it was a way to “de-gay” her, but the relationship did not work. She’s also gay, btw.

Can we contact her on facebook? Yes. Search for her name- Khalya Hopkins.

A Reader’s Story: My Teen Pregnancy

06/27/2011
Issues, Readers Write In, Teen Pregnancy
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Of all the feedback I’ve received from this magazine so far, I am especially moved by a reader who emailed me wanting to share her teen pregnancy story, after reading about Khalya Hopkins’. Due to the nature of her story, she wishes to remain anonymous, but hopes that reading about what she went through will help someone else. I thank her for her courage.  Here it is, in her own words-

“When I was 15 years old, during the summer after my freshman year of High School, I went back to visit my native homeland after 5 years of being in the United States. I was raped by a family friend. As soon as I came back, I went to take a pregnancy and STD test because I had missed my period and was mostly worried about getting HIV. Luckily I wasn’t infected but I was pregnant. I decided to tell my mother who did not want to believe me, mostly for social reasons I believe. I decided to get an abortion because I wasn’t ready for a baby, especially one that I didn’t want. At the abortion clinic, the doctor had to repeat my labs twice to make sure there wasn’t a mistake. He informed me that I was severely anemic and that I would be taking a huge risk with the abortion. I was scared and didn’t get a second opinion. I decided to keep the child, rather than risk my life. I now realize that maybe I should have gotten a second opinion. My son was born a month before my 16th birthday. I remember debating whether to have a sweet sixteen but deciding against it since I just had a baby. I went on to finish High School with my class without having to attend Summer School. I also played basketball my last 2 years. My mother was instrumental in watching my son and paying for childcare. I suggested getting a job after school but she didn’t want me to. I got my first job the summer after High School at white Castle. I remember all my money going to childcare, but I didn’t care. I did not want my mother being financially responsible for my son more than she had to be. I enrolled in college to become a Registered Nurse. At the age of 24, I became a licensed RN and got my BSN at the age of 25. I have been living on my own since I was 20. I worked extremely hard to get where I am because I didn’t just want my life to waste away. I was torn between loving my son and accepting him as what he was: a child conceived of rape. But I knew that I decided to keep him so I had to do my best. I am still plagued but it is a work in progress. I often think of how carefree my life would have been had I not been raped but I try to push those thoughts out of my mind because they do not benefit me. I can’t say that I am a perfect mother but God knows I have tried and still try to do right by my son. Life always throws obstacles. It is up to us to brace ourselves and weather the storm. I am still weathering my storm but I hope to see some calm over the horizon.”