Carlton Williams has seen enough teen pregnancies to know that he doesn’t want go down the road to early fatherhood.
Williams, 18, a graduate of Benjamin E. Mays High School, was part of a team that created a public service announcement they hope will be a deterrent to teen pregnancy. The PSA is being shown at Movies ATL on Princeton Lakes Parkway in Atlanta before the start of each film through June.
The 60-second announcement, "The Choice Is Yours," drives home the social and economic impact of teen pregnancy. It was produced by teens with the Atlanta-based Center for Black Women's Wellness' Adolescent Health & Youth Development Program. The CBWW is a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost holistic health and support services for the family.
“The project kind of opened my eyes to how it can really affect someone like me,” Williams said. “It helped me make the right decision. It’s my responsibility to make sure I don’t end up in a situation like that.”
Williams, who is African-American, is determined not to be a statistic.
As of July 1, 2011, black and Latino youths made up 38.8 percent of the U.S. population ages 15-19, but 57 percent of U.S. teen births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, though, teen pregnancy rates overall are dropping, according to the CDC. In 2011, 329,797 babies were born to women ages 15–19, which is a record low for U.S. teens and a decline of 8 percent from 2010.
The CDC report says it’s unclear why there is a decline although it appears teens are less sexually active and, those who are, are using birth control more than in previous years.
The short feature introduces Brandon and Mike, two aspiring high school athletes, played by members of the L.O.F.T.Y. (Looking Out for the Youth) Crew, a youth component of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness. Brandon has his eye on a cheerleader. The spot flashes forward to show Brandon now a teen dad with a focus on diapers rather than books or sports.
He struggles to find a job with one child and another on the way, while Mike goes on to have a lucrative NFL career.
It closes by asking viewers which path they will choose.
After June, the PSA will still be available on YouTube and through the organization’s website at www.cbww.org.
Keri McDonald Pridgeon, vice president of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness, said the teens wanted to do something that would resonate with other youths and be a “lasting message.”
The message is “that your life can be turned around completely,” with one decision,” McDonald Pridgeon said. “When you think about teen pregnancy, it’s not just teen parents who are affected, but the whole family. Often the family has to pick up and assist.”
For the community, the costs are higher as well. Teen parents may have to drop out of school, which results in fewer job opportunities.
“We’re not saying that they can’t be whatever they want to be and a teen parent,” she said. “We’re saying it’s a more difficult road.”
She said the teens hope to work on other PSAs, including one on HIV/AIDS.
About the Author
