Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Celebrities put teenage pregnancy in spotlight
Popular TV shows and movies don’t show the “full depth” of the issue, one teacher says.
Courtesy photo
Juno, a film about a teenage girl who gets pregnant (played by Ellen Page), received three Oscar nominations.
Courtesy photo
17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears has a 4-month-old daughter with 19-year-old Casey Aldridge.
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They are just a few examples of how teenage pregnancies have been thrust into the spotlight recently, and at a time when the number of teenage pregnancies may be on the rise.
The rate of teen pregnancies in the country has declined 38 percent since 1990, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies.
But the most recent data on teenage births suggests that the trend could be coming to a halt or reversing.
Locally, the number of teenage pregnancies in Roanoke is at its highest since 1997, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health.
In 2006, there were 356 reported pregnancies in Roanoke for women under age 20, the most teen pregnancies since 1997 when there were 392.
Eric Salo, a teacher in the Center of Mass Communications at Arnold R. Burton School of Arts and Technology, said the television shows and movies show only a glimpse of what teen pregnancy entails.
“It doesn’t get down to the truth or the full depth of an issue,” Salo said. “It may be glamorized in the media, but I would hope that teens realize that what happens in real life is not what you see on the screen.”
Kristin Harter, a sophomore at Hidden Valley High School, doesn’t believe that television shows and movies are glorifying teenage pregnancies.
“People like to see drama on TV, and that’s what gets them watching shows and movies that include pregnant teenagers,” she said. “I don’t think that they are trying to say that it’s all right in the society. They’re showing it just because of the drama aspect.”
The movie “Juno,” released in December, portrays a high school student (played by Ellen Page) who gets pregnant and seemingly continues to live her life normally before, during and after the pregnancy. The movie went on to win an Academy Award.
And in the popular ABC Family show “Secret Life of the American Teenager,” an average 15-year-old named Amy Juergens (played by Shailene Woodley) gets pregnant.
Aside from the show, Woodley is working with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy . She’s done a public service announcement for the group encouraging teens to practice safe sex and seek help if they become pregnant.
Other teenage celebrities are also taking a stand against premarital sex.
Celebrities such as Jordin Sparks and the Jonas Brothers are publicizing the use of purity or promise rings.
“It’s not bad to wear a promise ring,” Sparks, 18, told the crowd at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.
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