Five teenagers came to Prince George’s Hospital Center auditorium one afternoon to turn the table on 25 of the doctors, nurses. and other professionals of health care sitting in the audience. The young moms were there to give advice on how to talk to teens regarding health issues. “Alonda Lewis, a 17 year old mother of a 2-year-old boy, reminded the doctors to use simple, everyday language to replace the confusing medical terms when communicating with young patients. Alond suggested, “Why not just say the pink bubble gum medicine, instead of penicillin or amoxicillin?” (The Washington Post, 1997).

The professionals in the audience were quick to respond: “Perhaps the doctors didn’t want to give the impression that the medicine was like candy, to be taken at will. Perhaps the doctors were using the medical terms as tools to educate the young mothers. Perhaps there was some middle ground between the young mother’s suggestion and the doctor’s concerns” (The Washington Post, 1997).

This was the kind of situation Paula Scott-Kuddy, a registered nurse, had in mind when she started visiting the schools as part of Project REACH (Really Educate Adolescents Concerning Health). The program helps to increase awareness about health issues and to decrease the the county’s teen pregnancy rates. Professionals visit the schools once a month to discuss issues such as immunizations and child care, and the significance of prenatal and postnatal care (The Washington Post, 1997).

For this seminar, Scott-Laddy invited five mothers who were enrolled in the Adolescent Parenting Program, a class which offers information and support to parents in high school. The teenagers introduced themselves and began giving advice. Shorty, the conversation took an unexpected turn. The teenage mothers began struggling to answer the many questions asked about their personal life. They became humiliated and angered by the tone of some of the questions. Shortly after, the mothers broke out into tears. Yes, they were defiant also. They shot back at the audience with stories of triumph. One teenager told her story of having a zero average in the ninth grade, and now she is a senior with a 3.83 average. Voice cracking, another teenager explained that she had missed 180 days of school last year, and this year she has only missed one day. “I am proud of myself because I am succeeding” she said (The Washington Post, 1997).

The silence of the room was followed by words from Antoine Fomufod, director of neonatology and pediatrics. “We have brought these teenagers here to talk to you about their health issues,” he said. “This is not a forum to interrogate them about their past” (The Washington Post, 1997). After closing words, the audience applauded and several members from the audience crowded around the young mothers, hugging them, wiping their tears away, and giving words of encouragement. Definately a dose of reality!(The Washington Post, 1997).

From my own experience, being a single mother is tough. Being a teen mother may be even harder because the mother’s are still children themselves. They are doing the best they can yet they seem to get critized often. Reaching the youngsters of today takes unerstanding and compassion. Both the audience and the teenagers made good points. It is hard for teenagers to understand many things at such a young age. That is why I think education is important here. Althogh there is nothing quite like personal experience to teach us lessons, it may be in the best interests of the children of these teenagers to be educated on this issue.

When the teenagers felt interrogated by the audience I felt their pain. They were doing the best they could and they were criticized for trying to make a difference. That can make these teenagers skeptical about speaking their feelings and trying to share their story to help others. It is important for these teens to speak out and they should be supported. However, they too need to become openminded to real world.

In closing, it is significant to understand teenagers of today instead of critizing and putting them down. We as a society need to support these unfortuante girls and encourage them to become responsible, loving, and compassionate mothers. The children of today are our future. Supporting these teens in todays society can make a difference in our future world. Efficient communication among all is highly recommended.


The Washington Post. (1997) A Dose of Reality for Teenage Mothers, Medical Professionals. Retrieved December 2, 1997 from the World Wide Web: http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-src/WPlate/1997-11/20/0061 -112097-idx.html

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