A national growing trend of pregnancy in women ages 15-19 years has risen over three percent over 2005-2006. An article in the Washington Post reported the pregnancy rate among teen girls in the United States has risen for the first time in over a decade.
The report comes as Congress might consider restoring federal funding to sex-education programs that focus on abstinence. The Obama administration eliminated more than $150 million in funds for such groups over the past year; however, it is now launching a $110 million pregnancy prevention initiative focused on programs with proven effectiveness after seeing results of the pregnancy rate of women in the U.S. younger than 20 up three percent.
Director of the University’s Women’s Center, Mary Kruger said she supports Obama’s decision to cut abstinence-only education.
“The federal government funded the abstinence-only education throughout the 2000s and that was proved ineffective,” she said. “For me, taking away funding for a program that clearly has been ineffective is a good decision. The Obama administration’s actions to fund comprehensive programs that have proved to be effective is something I support.”
Bowling Green Pregnancy Center Executive Director Megan Hayward said the center was created especially for women with unplanned pregnancies, and was thought to be an asset to the community, as well as the University.
Hayward could not comment on whether the BGPC had a similar trend in teen pregnancies during the past couple years as the rest of the nation did, but mentioned some reasoning behind their clientele being lower than it was in the 1990s.
“In the early 1990s, women normally went to the doctor to find out if they were pregnant or not, and we are an alternative to that, but nowadays you can buy pregnancy tests from the dollar store,” she said. “I can say that last year we had 550 clients come into the center.”
The Bowling Green Pregnancy Center is a non-profit organization created in 1985 and offers services such as ultrasounds, peer counseling, adoption referrals, support and more. The idea for the pregnancy center was created by a group of individuals who decided it would be beneficial to the city.
“All of our funding comes from donations from businesses in the city and not by the government. This year, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary,” Hayward said.
Senior Allison Watlers used the services of BGPC when she became pregnant during her freshman year at the University.
“It was difficult [being pregnant],” she said. “I had to miss a lot of classes my fall semester to go to the appointments needed.”
Walters said BGPC was “mostly older women” and the center made her feel uncomfortable. However, she recommends the center over Planned Parenthood.
“[BGPC] was cleaner, more secure, safe and more confidential,” she said. “They were really good with walk-ins. They let you bring as many people as you want to feel comfortable.”
According to the BGPC Web site, free pregnancy tests are offered. Pregnancy tests are fast, over 99% accurate and the results are strictly confidential. Tests detect the pregnancy hormone 7 to 10 days after conception. The client will be asked to fill out a short form of general information, asked for a urine sample and then will perform the test herself with the help of a peer counselor. Pregnancy test results are known in four minutes. At that time there may be some discussion about alternatives and ways that BGPC can be of assistance.
Clients are offered the opportunity to develop a supportive relationship with one of the BGPC’s trained volunteer counselors. A counselor will continue to meet with the client as often as they wish during and after pregnancy. All counselors are female and help in a variety of ways including emotional support, budgeting, suggestions on how to break the news to friends and family, birth coaching and help in practicing healthy relationships, Hayward said.
“We have a program here called ‘Earn While You Learn’ which is a parenting program for moms who may not have the support otherwise,” Hayward said. “During this, moms can earn needed products such as car seats and cribs.”
Other services the center provides include medical care, such as referrals for an ob-gyns in Bowling Green, adoption referrals and support to women and men making plans, referral to an agency or lawyer to make an adoption and post-abortion support to those who have been through an abortion experience.
For more information, go to the BGPC Web site at BGPC.org, call 419-354-4673, or visit the center, located at 441 Frazee Avenue, on the corner of Frazee and North Enterprise.
