Campesinos offering forums on teen pregnancy

SOMERTON — Can we talk ... about teen pregnancy.

That's the invitation Campesinos Sin Fronteras is extending to parents of adolescents.

The San Luis-based nonprofit agency will host a conference titled “¿Conversamos?” (“Can We Talk?”) on Feb. 23 on teen pregnancy — a problem it attributes in part to a lack of communication between parents and their children.

The event, free and open to the public, is scheduled from 8 to 1 p.m. in the Fernando Padilla Community Center, 800 E. Juan Sanchez Blvd. in San Luis.

There are various factors contributing to pregnancy among youths under 18, said Isela Sanchez, a health counselor for Campesinos, “and one of the main ones we've found is the lack of communication between parents and children, which causes a feeling of isolation and lack of esteem on the part of the teen.”

The conference will focus on such topics as self-esteem, puberty and sexuality, contradictory and inappropriate messages, peer pressure, drugs and alcohol.

Parents who attend will be shown how they can help prevent pregnancy among their children and, in so doing, help combat the overall problem, said Sanchez.

Pregnancy “is something that will change their lives and their families' lives,” she said. “A pregnant teen can be headed toward extreme poverty, with considerable difficulty in raising a child. Their education is affected and they face health risks associated with pregnancy at such an early age.”

Campesinos is organizing the conference with the help of Centpatico, Arizona Department of Health Services, Amberly's Place and the Somerton Police Department.

For more information about the forum, call 627-9777.