Jamie Lynn Spears had one. So did Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol. Now, parents of impressionable teens are wondering if theirs will want one too.
No, not a new haircut, designer dress or a popular high-tech gadget, but a baby bump.
Teen pregnancy has gotten a national spotlight, and some worry “a cool factor,” with TV shows like
Teen Mom and
16 and Pregnant as well as a host of celebrity teens who are now mommies.
UAB’s
Student Involvement wanted to ask the question “Does the Media Glamorize Teen Pregnancy?” Twice a month, the group hosts “Free Food (or Film) 4 Thought,” a forum for students, faculty and staff to chime in about their thoughts on the selected topic over a meal.
On Aug. 30 – with a free buffet of Chinese steak and rice, veggies and big chocolate chip cookies – the group put that question to their audience. Most said they felt the media does not glamorize teen pregnancy, but does promote promiscuity without repercussions.
They also said there is a danger, though, in teens seeing the celebrity these teen mommy shows create for the girls. Several are now reality stars who got their 15 minutes of fame with a hefty paycheck to boot. Several are household names who don the pages of celebrity magazines and, in true celeb fashion, go in and out of rehab.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 410,000 teenage girls, ages 15 to 19, gave birth in the United States in 2009. That's down by 37 percent from the teen birth rate in 1991. Still, the United Nations reports that teen pregnancy in the United States is almost nine times that of the majority of other developed nations. Of that number, Hispanics and African Americans nearly double that of whites.
After Beyoncé announced her pregnancy, Black Entertainment Television reporter Tony Anderson penned a commentary asking, “Will Beyoncé’s Pregnancy Cause a Spike in Black Teen Pregnancy.” He wrote: "It almost scares me to imagine how many young females will get pregnant on purpose so that they can share being pregnant with Beyoncé."
Here is a list of the upcoming Free Food 4 Thought events:
• 9/11 ten years later: Are we any safer? Sept. 8, 12:30 p.m. Hill University Center, Room 412
•
Is the tea party good for politics? Oct. 5, 5:30 p.m. Mervyn Sterne Library, Seminar Room 174
•
Would a gay athlete have an effect on team unity? Oct. 25, 12:30 pm. Hill University Center, Room 413
•
Has the U.S. outsourced its super power status? Nov. 8, 7 p.m. Blazer Hall Residence Life Center
•
Should the overweight pay for more insurance? Nov. 30, 12 p.m. Ryals School of Public Health, Room 107.
No, not a new haircut, designer dress or a popular high-tech gadget, but a baby bump.
Teen pregnancy has gotten a national spotlight, and some worry “a cool factor,” with TV shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant as well as a host of celebrity teens who are now mommies.
UAB’s Student Involvement wanted to ask the question “Does the Media Glamorize Teen Pregnancy?” Twice a month, the group hosts “Free Food (or Film) 4 Thought,” a forum for students, faculty and staff to chime in about their thoughts on the selected topic over a meal.
On Aug. 30 – with a free buffet of Chinese steak and rice, veggies and big chocolate chip cookies – the group put that question to their audience. Most said they felt the media does not glamorize teen pregnancy, but does promote promiscuity without repercussions.
They also said there is a danger, though, in teens seeing the celebrity these teen mommy shows create for the girls. Several are now reality stars who got their 15 minutes of fame with a hefty paycheck to boot. Several are household names who don the pages of celebrity magazines and, in true celeb fashion, go in and out of rehab.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 410,000 teenage girls, ages 15 to 19, gave birth in the United States in 2009. That's down by 37 percent from the teen birth rate in 1991. Still, the United Nations reports that teen pregnancy in the United States is almost nine times that of the majority of other developed nations. Of that number, Hispanics and African Americans nearly double that of whites.
After Beyoncé announced her pregnancy, Black Entertainment Television reporter Tony Anderson penned a commentary asking, “Will Beyoncé’s Pregnancy Cause a Spike in Black Teen Pregnancy.” He wrote: "It almost scares me to imagine how many young females will get pregnant on purpose so that they can share being pregnant with Beyoncé."
Here is a list of the upcoming Free Food 4 Thought events:
• 9/11 ten years later: Are we any safer? Sept. 8, 12:30 p.m. Hill University Center, Room 412
• Would a gay athlete have an effect on team unity? Oct. 25, 12:30 pm. Hill University Center, Room 413
• Has the U.S. outsourced its super power status? Nov. 8, 7 p.m. Blazer Hall Residence Life Center
• Should the overweight pay for more insurance? Nov. 30, 12 p.m. Ryals School of Public Health, Room 107.