QUALITIES OF LIFE: ABSTINENCE PROGRAM MAY LOWER TEEN BIRTHS

GRAPIC -- LIVE BIRTHS TO TEENS

Samantha Russell is determined she won't be a statistic. She won't be among the 100 or more Cape Girardeau County teenagers that give birth each year.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Qualities of Life report shows the number of teen births on the rise after several years of steady decline. The report studied social aspects that impact the community.

Russell, 18, is among a growing number of teens who have pledged abstinence before marriage through True Love Waits, a worldwide movement.

Russell, who attends Lynwood Baptist Church, said the program works because it involves God. "As a Christian, you have to be able to lean on his strength," she said. "That's one of the biggest things that's missing from other programs. I think the family and church need to start it and be the backbone."

"I've made a commitment, and I know it's not my strength that's going to do it," she said. "Ultimately God will pull me through."

The program helps teens focus on the future.

That same focus exists for other programs at work in the community, explained Mary Gosche, president of the local Teen Responsibility Network to Prevent Pregnancy. The network has operated more than a dozen years in Cape Girardeau County, primarily to bring health care professionals, counselors and educators together to prevent teen pregnancy.

"It's a community and family and school issue," Gosche said. "All three areas have to work together. We want teens to be goal oriented and career minded and to know that not everyone is having sex and that there are lots of responsibilities in being a parent."

Gosche sees progress. "We have a lot of people working together on the school front, in the faith community and with agencies. I think that's one of the reasons our rate of teen pregnancy is lower than the state."

The community has taken a multi-pronged approach to prevention.

"We have some agencies working on abstinence programs, some promoting family planning, some preventing second teen pregnancies." Gosche said.

A common theme among the varied programs is teaching abstinence.

For example, a program operates in Cape County schools called Preventing Sexual Involvement. High school students talk with seventh graders about abstinence and ways to say no to sex.

Jon Lowrance, a junior at Central High School, said community and school programs he has experienced offer good information. "I think of it as a backup to what we learn in church," Lowrance said. "Everyone now is teaching abstinence."

Some teens are listening. "I see a lot more people saving themselves for marriage," he said. "I want to guard my heart." Lowrance wears a purity ring, a visual reminder to himself that marriage will be worth the wait.

"It's not just physical purity," he explained. "It's mental and emotional purity too."

"It's so important not to just waste your life for a moment," added Kelly Zinn, a freshman. "I have a hard enough time trying to take care of myself. Taking care of a baby is very hard work."

Zinn surrounds herself with friends, both boys and girls, who share her ideals. "When I look for a boyfriend, I want that to be something we have in common. We are both following God's will."

Sarah Belcher, a high school senior, said, "I think a lot of times people are just searching for love, and a lot of teens think that is what love is all about. They are trying to fill an emptiness inside.

That emptiness, she said, is caused because teens feel out of touch with their parents and the church.

"If a person has Jesus in their heart, they won't feel that emptiness," Belcher said. "Also, they won't feel that emptiness if they have a loving family."

Although it's rare that the subject comes up, Belcher said friends who know of her abstinence pledge approve. "They think it's cool," she said. "They don't think it a bad thing, and I think people respect me for making this decision."