On this week’s “Hashtag Hong Kong”, Sky Siu, CEO of Mother’s Choice talks about the problems of inadequate sex education and unsupported teenage pregnancy.  To listen to full program on RTHK Radio 3 “Hashtag Hong Kong” on 22 Sept 2024 Sunday morning at 8.15-8.25am (10 min). please visit:  https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3/programme/hashtaghk.

Good morning!  Let me tell you about a story of a teenage girl who came to Mother’s Choice. K was 17, alone and angry, with no home, family or support, and six-months-pregnant. She didn’t want to open up, but our House Mother made her feel at home. She made friends, learned about her choices with her pregnancy, and ultimately decided to be a mom. She was encouraged to receive parenting training, and learned how to better care for herself and her son, through a variety of different classes.  While she worked hard to finish her studies, Mother’s Choice found a volunteer family who could love and care for her son until she became ready to provide a stable home for him. Today, she is equipped and empowered to face her future and provide a loving home for her son. K’s story has a happy ending, but her story could have looked very different.
A study found that each year in Hong Kong that there is approximately 5,400 crisis pregnancies, with the majority occurring among single girls under the age of 25.  A crisis pregnancy is not only unplanned, but also unsupported.  Many of these girls endured childhood trauma, mental health changes, family dysfunction, as well as inter-generational teenage pregnancy.

In 2016, the Commission on Youth provided a survey finding that 40% of young people aged 12-24 lack understanding about sex, while 44% do not use birth control, with over 40% learning about sex from pornography and media. This inadequate education significantly contributes to the rising rates of teenage pregnancies in Hong Kong, and in 2022, the Equal Opportunities Commission survey results revealed that nearly 1 in 7 secondary schools in Hong Kong do not teach sex education, and among those that do, half allocate only five hours per year.

In collaboration with The University of Hong Kong, 100 girls who used the Pregnant Girls Services were interviewed with the following observations:
● 1 in 4 had experienced a previous pregnancy.
● 40% were not living with their parents or had unstable relationships with the baby’s father.
● 1 in 10 suffered from mental health or substance abuse issues.
● 1 in 5 had aged-out of institutionalized or foster care.

The important thing is that girls need to know that they have a choice, and that Mother’s Choice will support them as they make the decision that best meets their situation.

Engaging in these girls earlier allows them time to access proper prenatal care and comprehensive counseling, empowering them to make an informed choice and decision on whether or not to keep their baby, or whether they are going to send their kids for adoption. The important thing is that girls need to know that they have a choice, and that Mother’s Choice will support them as they make the decision that best meets their situation.

Those of us serving on the frontline recognize this as a vicious intergenerational cycle.  For over three decades, we have supported more than 54,600 girls facing crisis pregnancies. Many girls who seek our help have grown up without stable families, raised in institutional care, or passed around informally within their communities. Research shows that this lack of a permanent, loving home is a risk factor for many leaving them vulnerable to abuse, sexual assault, and unhealthy relationships, this diminishes their sense of self-worth as well. Nearly half of the girls who come to us are already in the second or third generation of teen pregnancy, highlighting the importance of building a supportive community to break this vicious cycle.

Those of us serving on the frontline recognize this as a vicious intergenerational cycle.

In the 1980s, nearly 90% of the teenage girls who turned to Mother’s Choice opted for adoption. However in recent years, about 70% have chosen to parent.  Although the stigma around single parenting in Hong Kong has decreased, there is still much to be done to strengthen community networks. While Hong Kong now offers subsidies and public housing for single parents, without a supportive network of family and friends, these resources often still fall short. In response to this need, we launched the Safe Families program in 2022 to connect new parents with community support ranging from childcare to emotional support.  This includes volunteers to help with child care, emotional support, professional counseling, and having a social worker to follow up on their cases to connect their resources where needed.

In Mother’s choice, our Youth Services and programs provide 3 Es to girls –
● Embrace: we welcome vulnerable girls during their darkest moments, fostering relationships with trusted and caring adults.
● Equip: we provide accurate information about their choices and essential life skills.
● Empower: we help build community connections, empowering these girls to envision a hopeful future.

Despite the many views on this topic, we see this as an opportunity for parents to step up as every child and young person needs a trusted adult to help them navigate sexuality education.

In recent weeks, the government’s update in its comprehensive sexuality education in school curriculum has created a lot of dialogue on a topic that traditionally has been uncomfortable for many parents to discuss with their children. Despite the many views on this topic, we see this as an opportunity for parents to step up as every child and young person needs a trusted adult to help them navigate sexuality education. Today we are seeing increasing public health concerns and with no mandatory school-based sexuality education program in Hong Kong, so we urgently need a holistic, sustainable model for sexual education that can be easily replicated. We sincerely look forward to seeing how the government’s recent move can be a move towards this direction.

At Mother’s Choice, we have great hope that crisis can be turned into opportunity.  I truly believe there is no such thing as a hopeless case, everyone deserves a second chance.  When we join hands and work together, there is HOPE!    We can change life stories!

I’d like to dedicate this song When you believe” by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey to everyone.

I truly believe there is no such thing as a hopeless case, everyone deserves a second chance.

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