Priscilla Ovalle. . .The Complications of Teen Pregnancy Campaigns

My dissertation work centers on the sexual representation of Latinas in film and television media through dance. While my main focus is Hollywood representation, I have long been interested in a companion project: the visual depiction of teenage pregnancy. As the daughter of a teen mother, my life has been framed by the cultural and social imaginings of this “epidemic.” Eventually, I began to identify the face of these public service announcements—not as teenage mothers, but as specifically black or brown teenage mothers. My interest piqued in 2001, when an awareness campaign specifically targeting Hispanic teen births was launched. These efforts received multi-media circulation, despite the fact that birth rates to these young, brown mothers had continually decreased since 1989[1].

As a graduate student in the Critical Studies Department at USC, I began my primary research in LA. I was fascinated by the blanket campaigns representing and warning (of) over-productive Latinas. I soon began to wonder how such campaigns might differ when presented to a city with a less marginalized Latina population. Would the mode of address change? Might the faces depicted be different? What language was used in the campaigns? I decided to return to San Antonio, Texas—my hometown—and investigate teen pregnancy initiatives there.

Once in San Antonio, many things became apparent. The network of people working on sexual education and pregnancy prevention was rather compact; dwindling state funds meant organizations were under constant threat of closure. Sex education initiatives entering public schools—when finally granted entry—were not allowed to discuss birth control unless addressing teen mothers in a parenting class. Most available program funding stipulated that abstinence be the only preventative offered or stressed. Still, I came to the conclusion that many earnest people were working to help the young women of San Antonio with sex education and prevention services, despite the many restrictions they faced.

The most apparent difference between San Antonio and Los Angeles was the lack of visible advertising. During my June visit, visual campaigns were selectively placed in small numbers. It became apparent that word of mouth was the primary form of outreach, underscored by the lack of funding available for large-scale campaigns. The advertising images that did circulate within San Antonio were largely imported from national campaigns; this became a new avenue to explore: the local use of a national “ethnic” image. There is much work to be done. Because of the excellent and extensive contacts made in San Antonio, I will now begin working on the relationship between San Antonio public schools and public health organizations such as Project M.A.S. (Mothers And Schools) and Project Better Future. My goal with this research is to stress the need for positive images that reflect the opportunities available to young people in the city (with arts organizations like Say Sí and Grupo Animo) instead of the “dead-end” tone and depiction so prevalent. The support and community of extra-curricular activities, realistic pregnancy prevention education, and the promise of opportunity are the best options for pregnancy prevention.
With a generous grant from the Center for Feminist Research, I was able to expand my research. The Center’s support has been invaluable to my research. Due to their efforts, I have added another layer to this multi-dimensional project. My sincerest thanks to the Center for Feminist Research’s wonderful staff.

1. Like most statistics regarding Hispanic populations, there are varied interpretations. Compare: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, “Variations in Teenage Birth Rates, 1991-1998: National and State Trends,” National Vital Statistics Reports 48.6 (2000):

2. Hispanic teen birthrates are cited to have “declined steadily since 1994” and by 1998, had dropped “13% in 4 years”; and “Bad News for Hispanic Girls,” Op-Ed. USA Today 20 April 2001: 14A. This write-up claims that, since 1989, “Latina teens have seen a mere 7% decline,”compared to the rates of black (25%) and white (15%) birth reduction.