College Pregnancy

A freshmen returns from class emotionally drained. On top of a calculus and chemistry exam next week, she has one more test she fears. She takes her third pregnancy test of the day and it's still positive. She promised her parents she'd be responsible at college and she is grown up. She isn't sure who she can talk to. Though she thinks at least half the floor is sexually active this feels different, shameful, embarrassing.

The college environment isn't designed for parents. Married and family housing are largely part of the past. Though non-traditional students are on the rise, it isn't all that common to see a pregnant traditionally aged student on campus.

I work with one student who just got pregnant. Her parents told her they'll continue paying for school, but she has to figure the baby out by herself. She may find ads in the local paper offering to care for the baby. She may have a supportive friend group, but just because someone will hold your hand in the delivery room doesn't mean they'll help you get through classes, test, work, and holding a baby shower in your floor lounge.

Is this a population we should be reaching out to and helping them succeed? Or is this a group that just shouldn't be in school? Abortion has become an increasingly political issue, rather than a human issue. To breach the subject of her pregnancy with faculty, staff, or students could bring support, quick condemnation, or a careless "just take care of it."

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy petitions in Washington to increase education about unplanned pregnancy, especially at community colleges. Here are three alarming statistics about pregnancy on community colleges:

• 61% of people who have a child while in college drop out before obtaining their degree
• The dropout rate for people who have a child in college is 64% higher than those who don't.
• 48% of all community college students claim to either have been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant

Forty eight percent?! I challenge someone to identify another issue that affects 48% of our students that is as poorly funded, or about which we are more poorly educated. Because we have made this a political issue, we've been paralyzed in our ability to respond to it. Though we address this issue with high school students, more unplanned pregnancies occur to women in their 20s.

What should we do? I've got a few ideas...

1. We should talk about sex with college students.

2. We should provide emotionally and physically safe environments for women to talk about options.

3. We should provide counseling for women who are pregnant, who have had abortions, miscarriages (1 in 4 pregnancies end in a miscarriage), and with postpartum depression.

4. We should provide counseling and support groups for men who are facing pregnancy decisions.

Pregnancy on campus is an academic success, retention, mental and physical health, and community issue. We have an obligation to respond.