Freeman Klopott, The Examiner
2008-05-22 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Brenda Rhodes Miller has been fighting teen pregnancy for more than 25 years. In that time, she has raised three children, written two cookbooks and a novel, and served as a consultant to several nonprofit organizations. She is now the executive director of D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a nonprofit organization that connects teens with strong role models to fight teen pregnancy.

How did you get involved in teen pregnancy?

I’ve always been interested in health issues. Good health is a key to being successful in life, and I found that teen pregnancy was a dividing line that kept some young women from achieving their life goals. When you’re not pregnant at a young age you have a much better chance.

How has the fight against teen pregnancy changed over the years?

It used to be all about individual choice. But now people see it in terms of a larger youth development issue about lack of overall opportunity. Young women trapped in thinking they have no opportunities are more likely to make poor decisions. I like the idea of being able to do something about a problem that people have been wringing their hands over for decades.

So what do you do about it?

The single most important factor in preventing teen pregnancy is a teen’s close relationship with an adult. Ideally it’s the parents, but not every young person has that option, so they need an adult standing in that gap. ... People of good will can do great things when they work together and there’s room for all sorts of work; mentoring and educating are key. All things you take for granted when you grow up in a middle-class family.

How do you get that done?

We often work with different faith-based communities and set up programs based on their interests. With one group we’ve set up a health clinic and another an abstinence-based program.