One goal of the conference was to prevent second pregnancies and exposure to the HIV virus among participants, Goldberg said. Seventy percent of teen mothers have a second child before they reach 21, she said. Among the problems associated with early childbearing are babies with low birth weights due to a lack of prenatal care, school dropouts, poverty and sexually transmitted disease. Some participants did not share their elders' opinion that teen pregnancy should be viewed as a problem. Lozano said he cares about his son and wants to be involved in his life.
Kids bring so much joy.
I love watching him smile. Some saw both sides. Trenz is living with her boyfriend who she said already has another child he does not support. She fears that if they break up, she might wind up in the same situation and have to move back home with her mother. Newman said she has seen more youngsters becoming pregnant at younger ages.