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Pocono News Section
Major STD, Pregnancy Spike
Major STD, Pregnancy Spike - Friday, June 27, 2008 at 3:50PM EST
Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Friday, Jun 27, 2008 @ 03:50pm EST
MILFORD, PIKE COUNTY - Anthony Redner was 14 when he learned he'd be a dad.
"I was actually kinda scared and didn't know what to do or where to turn."
Anthony wasn't along. He went to the Delaware Valley School District, which has reported a major spike in teenage pregnancy.
Eyewitness news spoke with Bette Saxton who works for a family planning organization called Maternal and Family Health Services.
She said, "We've seen twenty-five pregnant teens in our family planning site in Milford only: don't know how many are students."
Anthony said many of his teenage friends have had or will soon have babies.
He explained, "Maybe to fit in - maybe cause they see their friends are getting recognition through school."
He said it seems it's popular to be pregnant but he's learned, babies are hard work.
"It's hard enough to even graduate through school and keep yourself concentrating," he warned.
Pregnancy isn't the only problem at Delaware Valley. School district officials say about 10-percent of the kids who walk the halls have sexually transmitted diseases. That's more than 300 students.
The school district sent a letter home that says one student has HIV and has had multiple partners in the district. Now the Center for Disease Control is investigating to see who might be infected.
"It's a wake up call if anything for a parent. It's a wake up call so that's what we can focus on," said Saxton.
Bette and Anthony agree. Somebody needs to warn kids about the risks of pregnancy and disease.
"We'd love to be part of a new plan but I'm not aware of a new plan. But we work with districts if invited in," said Saxton.
Eyewitness news tried to talk with school district officials about how to prevent teen pregnancy and STDs. The Superintendent was in her office but "unavailable for comment."
The high school principal did not return phone calls.
You can find information on how to talk to your children about these issues at and .
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