Changing The Outlook On Youth Pregnancy And Parenthood - Forbes

Posted: 21 Jun 2019 03:35 PM PDT

When I wrote Shaking the Table via an Intersectional Approach I posed the question: How might we create a world where all women and girls' voices are included?

I'm aiming to do just that through "Shaking the Table." With this series, I'll invite other women and girls in my community to the Forbes table to amplify their voices and share their stories. And instead of just asking "why don't more people sitting at the table, pull up a chair for others?" I'm taking action by making room for others and scooting over to make more space for more women and girls. I know that if I truly want to create a more united state of women, I must continue to embrace and recognize that there's enough room for all of us to work together.

In this installment of the series, Rosemary D. Oglesby-Henry talks about teen-pregnancy awareness, how her company supports teen parents and families, and the legacy she's leaving behind.

Forever shaking tables,

Desiré Bennett, Ambassador, USOW Cincinnati

Three minutes. Three minutes is approximately the time it takes to get the results of a home pregnancy test and change a child's life forever. In those same three minutes, a teen's life flashes before their eyes. They envision giving up a scholarship to a Big 10 college, dropping out of high school to work a minimum wage job, and putting their future on hold to become parents.

Presumptions, A Real Problem.

One shouldn't be able to predict their economic future solely based on race or zip code, nor the age at which they become parents. However, for minorities and girls of color who become teen moms, statistics suggest that, if their parents were teen parents, they are more likely to become teen parents, too. In this way, teenage pregnancy and poverty become cycles that repeat from generation to generation. It means that they are at a higher risk of repeating the cycle of teenage pregnancy and poverty in their families—living their lives in income-based housing, being dependent on government benefits, inadequate healthcare, and working low-income jobs to care for their babies.

At 16, I did not want to become a stereotype and I recall those feelings and emotions intimately. A one-time choice changed my entire life. I remember weighing my options: abortion, adoption, or becoming a teen mother. In 1996—a time when teen pregnancy was at its peak—people lacked empathy for me. I recall so many people saying, "She is loose. She should have kept her legs closed." Unlike today, there was no research that suggested the correlation between teenage pregnancy and trauma. Recent research shows that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) are large contributors to adolescent pregnancy.

Even worse, the trauma that comes with choosing to parent at such a young age is the first adult decision a child makes. New statistical evidence shows the mental health risks that result from adolescent pregnancy and a lack of social support. There are insurmountable pressures of being a teen parent and the stigma can be devastating for young parents. Teens are left feeling abandoned, hopeless, and that, by having a child, they have been sentenced to a life of poverty.

Fortunately, I was able to overcome my obstacles as a teen mother; my experience forced me to be more resilient and self-empowered. Two decades later when I launched Rosemary's Babies Company, a non-profit 501(c)3 that supports teen parents and families, I found others were not as fortunate.

The barriers for adolescent parents are far greater now. Inflation has increased household expenses like childcare, transportation, and housing, making it unaffordable for these families to live their daily lives. The impact of the disproportionate socio-economic effects faced by youth parents, especially young women and parents of color, continues to be an enigma with no viable, long-term solution. Rosemary's Babies Company advocates for teen parent rights while providing a network of support and resources for families in Greater Cincinnati to ensure they leave a legacy.

The Plan: Advocacy & Education.

So how do we change the outlook for teenage parents while continuing to reduce unintended pregnancies? Albert Einstein wrote: "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results." This quote speaks truth to how we tackle teenage pregnancy and how we support the almost 200,000 teens who become parents yearly. As teen pregnancy prevention programs lose funding, women's health initiatives are attacked, birth control is no longer covered by medical insurance, and disproportionate socio-economic determinants surge our child poverty rate. We must fight for equal protections for our youth to have quality education and resources to help them to prevent unintended pregnancies. Advocating for young parents will eliminate alienation and barriers that prevent teens from seeking services to help them become successful.

Our government proposes that we cycle back to abstinence-only educational programming which has proven ineffective in postponing sexual activity. I suggest a movement that educates youth and advocates for parenting youth named Youth Pregnancy & Parenthood Awareness. On May 7, 2019 (May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month), a partnership between Rosemary's Babies Company and the Office of Cincinnati City Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard worked to proclaim a day to highlight the importance of advocating for teen parents. Youth Pregnancy & Parenthood Awareness Day will be recognized annually after Mother's Day, making it the first day of its kind to locally focus on youth parents. This proclamation comes as Greater Cincinnati works to provide better resources for young families and the more than 2,000 teen parents yearly who contribute to the increased child poverty rate.

Nationally, a campaign for Youth Pregnancy & Parenthood Awareness would include:

• Comprehensive sex education (K-12) that focuses on health risk as well as the mental, social, behavioral, and emotional effects that come with having a sexual relationship too early;

• Resources that describe the socio-economic impact on teen parent families and the community if we fail to eliminate barriers that lead to generational pregnancy and poverty;

• Provide school administrators tools and education to identify students who show signs of risky sexual behaviors, trauma, or have discussed adverse childhood experiences that would encourage an early sexual relationship; and

• Community conversations to propose and implement initiatives to support young families.

Three minutes is the amount of time it takes to get the results of a home pregnancy test and change a child's life but we can do more to change the outcomes and their outlook by effectively implementing a dual approach to activism and sexual education.

Take action now to talk with your children about youth pregnancy and parenthood. Contact local, government and school officials to advocate for a campaign in your city. Visit our website www.rosemarysbabies.co to donate to support these young families or to get involved call (513) 813-TEEN.

The Best Car Insurance Discounts that Any Driver Should Try to Obtain - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 16 Jun 2019 09:10 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 16, 2019 / Carinsuranceplan.org has launched a new blog post that presents the best discounts that can help drivers save money on car insurance premiums.

For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://carinsuranceplan.org/top-discounts-that-will-help-drivers-get-cheaper-car-insurance/.

To make car insurance more affordable for their existing and potential customers, car insurance companies are offering various types of discounts. The value of each discount is different from one insurer to another, so drivers are recommended to carefully analyze these discounts before signing any insurance deals.

The most valuable discounts that can help drivers save the most money are the following:

Multi-policy discount. Drivers can obtain substantial savings if they insure the car and house together on one policy on the same insurance company. In many cases, the policyholders can save as much as 20% of the insurance costs.
Good driver discount. This discount is provided to those drivers that manage to keep their driving records clean for a certain number of years. Most insurance companies will offer this discount after three years of ticket-free and accident-free driving, while other insurers will wait even five years. One major advantage provided by this discount is the fact that the policy will decrease every time a registered driver in the household becomes eligible.
Low-mileage discount. Policyholders that drive their cars less than a certain limit might be eligible for this discount. Policyholders that are driving less from any reason should contact their insurance companies and check if they are eligible.
Good student discount. This discount is one of the few methods that can help teen drivers save money on car insurance. To qualify for this discount, teen drivers will need a 3.0 GPA. Studies done by the insurance companies have shown that teen drivers that have good grades are less likely to be involved in accidents and they are more responsible drivers.
Good credit score discount. In most states, the law allows the insurer to look at the drivers' credit score before determining their insurance rates. Insurance companies claim they found a correlation between a driver's credit score and his chance to file for a claim. For this reason, drivers with a poor credit score will pay much more on their insurance premiums, while drivers with a good or excellent credit score will gain substantial discounts.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://carinsuranceplan.org/

Carinsuranceplan.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

"To obtain a better insurance deal, drivers should applyto all the discounts that are available," said Russell Rabichev,Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Contact: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz

SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company

View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/548936/The-Best-Car-Insurance-Discounts-that-Any-Driver-Should-Try-to-Obtain