Comments on: The Gloucester High 'Pregnancy Pact.'

By: The Heroines of Last Week. « PostBourgie

The Heroines of Last Week. « PostBourgie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:17:48 +0000

[...] the girls in Massachusetts who supposedly had a “pregnancy [...]

By: Grump

Grump — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:43:22 +0000

I think they just put a “nice” spin on something that happened to folks in the inner-city 30 years ago. Declining jobs, slowing down economy, etc…etc…etc…

By: bitchphd

bitchphd — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:08:14 +0000

It bothers you because it’s awfully like the lipstick blowjob party rumors: all, “ooh, these kids today! they’re decadent and evil!” It’s not the high pregnancy rate; it’s the idea that there was some nefarious and sekrit “pact” that the girls had to Do This Bad Thing . . . to themselves?

And because pregnancy *in and of itself* isn’t that big a fucking deal, anyway.

By: K.

K. — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:32:45 +0000

Hmmm. If these girls were determined to get pregnant then I’m not sure if access to contraceptives is to blame here. I would LOVE to hear from the girls. This story would have a different slant if it happened in, say, West Philly. There would be less talk about “hardships” and more talk about “lascivious teen girls.”

By: G.D.

G.D. — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:13:54 +0000

LH: You’ll get no argument from me, fam. It seems to be wishful thinking on the part of the people of Gloucester.

Adults can go elsewhere and get condoms. Teenagers technically can, but aren’t likely to holler at the Rite-Aid to cop some rubbers. So why take the condoms/birth control out of the places they CAN get it?

By: LH

LH — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:09:18 +0000

G.D.: A common, uninformed and ill-conceived argument. It isn’t as though not providing birth control discourages sexual activity, yanno?

Where kids and sex are concerned the toothpaste is already out of the tube. Hiding behind religious beliefs in this case seems almost cruel.

By: aprilleticia

aprilleticia — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:31:48 +0000

The reporting of the story bothers me, too. All the pieces seem to fit together too well. A news item, (17 pregnant high school girls), is connected to some larger issue (Gloucester’s decline and negative media influences), and quotes from officials and experts connect any missing parts. We’re missing a lot by not being able to hear from these girls, who we know nothing about. I just hope some media outlet, (don’t disappoint me, Boston Globe), gets an interview with at least one.

By: rakia

rakia — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:19:11 +0000

Gloucester is mostly Roman Catholic. Their religious beliefs prohibit the use of contraceptives, and not just among teens. That’s why folks are so against having condoms, birth control, etc at the school.

By: G.D.

G.D. — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:18:41 +0000

LH: We don’t know what the logic in this case is, but a common argument against it are that providing birth control encourages sexual activity.

*cues up umbrella/rain analogy*

By: LH

LH — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:06:00 +0000

I’ve yet to understand what sense it makes to oppose contraception. Is the hospital that administers grants for the clinic going to help raise these kids?

By: Tasha

Tasha — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:33:56 +0000

The school clinic’s medical director and its chief nurse practitioner both resigned in May after the hospital that administers grants for the clinic opposed making contraceptives available to students.

wild…