The Single Father’s Assocation (SFATT) has called for a study to ascertain the number of adult women who’ve been impregnated by teen boys as this has happened “many a time” says SFATT president Rhondall Feeles.
Feeles made the point yesterday when a Joint Select Committee (Social Services and Public Administration) interviewed the association, Child Welfare League and counselling psychologist/author Anna Maria Mora on the prevalence of teen pregnancies.
JSC chairman Paul Richards noted the number of teen pregnancies reported at hospitals in the last five years totalled 3,577 which he said was an underestimation. He also listed teen pregnancy figures for female age groups up to 19.
Richards also noted Health Ministry figures of the number of fathers impregnating teen girls—1, 710.
Those figures showed 1,305 teen pregnancies fathered by persons in the 20/30 age group, 146 (the 31- 40 age group), 24 ( 41 to 50 age group), two (51-60 age group) and 142 (men over 60).
Richards said although the term “teen pregnancy” was used, “...Rape is rape..and it’s illegal to have sex with a minor. T&T has a grave situation of men impregnating teen girls and it doesn’t seem like the system has been effective in bringing them to justice.”
On teen dads, Richards noted in some quarters if one didn’t have a child by 21, one might be labelled “gay” and it was a neighbourhood block badge of pride if a teen expressed his masculinity by becoming a father.
JSC member Glenda Jennings-Smith noted the Central Regional Health Authority was the only entity which reported increased teen pregnancies in its jurisdiction.
Feeles’ organisation, whose work targets Central areas, said it was hard to find information on teen fathers apart from the Education Ministry statistics on sexual misconduct showing 105 students who were suspended for this. He said if that problem was brought under control, fewer teen pregnancies might occur.