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PAGE 2A THE FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS-WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17,1980 Teenage Pregnancies 111 Some Teens Might Not Learn Sex Education Soon Enough Now that pregnancy among school age girls, in Forsyth County has been ex amined from the standpoint of available statistics and available options, what re mains to be answered is why unmarried teenagers are getting pregnant in the first place. Could it be that the girls don’t realize the conse quences of sexual activity? j| TkIHBBreJK JL : 1 K.f l| TRUELOVE SHOWS CONTROL PANEL ...mounted on the end of his solar hot water storage tank Solar System From the Front plained. Yet a third pump is con nected to the home’s fire place. When a fire is burning, this pump will auto matically circulate water through a grate in the fire place to let the heat of the fire warm up the water in the basement storage tank. Estimates of possible sav ings on his utility bills range up to 80 percent, Truelove said. Using 1978 and 1979 fig ures, Truelove estimated a four to six year payback time for his solar system. The price of energy is al ways rising and the payback time should be even shorter then, Truelove said. “The sun will always be there. As energy goes up, it (his solar system) will be more attrac tive all the time,” he said. Additionally, much of the cost of a solar system can be Metro Phone From the Front Creamer said the dam would destroy six miles of the Chattahoochee. Barnett said the county would lose whether or not the dam were built, either through fluc tuating water levels on Lake Lanier, or having more land flooded in the new lake. Barnett added he was not sure which of the Corps’ al ternatives was best. He said “I’m not for doing anything for giving our natural re sources to the City of At lanta.” Bank of Cumming presi dent Buddy Hobbs said he did not want to see either fluctuating water levels in Lake Lanier or the loss of the river caused by the new dam. He suggested the chamber investigate further Emory Ramey Has Finished AF Training SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS- Air National Guard Airman Emory G. Ramey, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Douglas Ra mey of 110 Ramey Drive, Cumming, has completed Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. The airman, who is re maining at Lackland for training as a security po liceman, studied Air Force history and traditions, its mission, its organization and human relations. Ramey earned credits to ward an associate degree in applied science through The Community College of The Air Force. Or if so, could it be that they just don’t care? Or is there no alterior motive? Jerrie Gober, caseworker principal for the Depart ment of Family and Chil dren Services (DFCS), says most don’t really know and some don’t really care. Ms. Gober notes that many of the girls who come into the DFCS office aren’t even sure if they are preg written off on federal in come taxes. Georgia may add a similar provision to its tax laws, too, Truelove added. “I think the thing is going to work out fine,” Truelove said as he explained the in strument panel on the side of the storage tank. He hasn’t yet used his solar system in cold or extended cloudy weather yet, but he antic ipates no problems. His solar system is man ufactured by a Rome firm and was installed by a local contractor. They offered him a good price if he would allow his system to be shown to the public, Truelove ex plained. Truelove said he would be glad to demonstrate his so lar hot water system to any one who will make an appointment. before taking a position. Dr. Judy Moses said he doubted taking a stand would accomplish anything. The dam was a political is sue, he said. It should be left to the county commission, he said. McGuinn called the dam a “hot potato.” The chamber also ap pointed a committee to choose candidates for a va cant director’s position. The committee is to report at the next meeting. The chamber will elect new officers in De cember. The need to have a retail merchant on the board and for someone with sufficient interest and time to work ac tively for the chamber was stressed by some chamber members present. JPTTAT in the x 7 UIM. .. Smokies Moke your reservations now to corn this Yoar. Enjoy a mountain vacation in the funway at Fon tana Village...tho Groat Smokies' largest resort. Take your pick...horseback riding, par-3 golf, tennis, squore dancing...everything is mare fun at Fontana I From bass fishing in Fontana lake to trout fishing in famous nearby streams; from swimming in heated pools to water skiing in the midst of scenic mountains—Fontana is the fun spot in the Smokies. Choose from 300 cottages or the 56-room lodge. «—MI HM COUMI NUMB FONTANA VILLAGE RESORT n»i. \wnmm* %m. mm tsmm mm nant. And those that are pre gnant are ‘‘very unsophisticated” about how it happens. The optional sex education that is available to eleventh and twelfth graders at the high school (See separate story) is “a little late” for mos most of the girls DFCS sees, according to Ms. Gober. “Most DFCS cases (frequently ninth graders) Sex Courses Available By LANE GARDNER Staff Writer Whether or not anyone needs or approves of sex ed ucation in Forsyth County, it is available. Because there is a belief that the best deterrent of teenage and unwanted preg nancies is knowledge, some sex education is taught at Forsyth County High School. There is no course dealing strictly with this subject. The material is, however, in cluded as a part of a course called “Family Living.” “Family Living” is of fered trough the Home Eco nomics department and is available two periods every quarter, mainly to eleventh and twelfth graders. No one is required to take the class and students may drop it if they find any material not to their liking or their parents’ liking. Martha Chastain, a home economics teacher who tea ches the class, says that ap proximately two weeks of the quarter are spent on what might be called “sex education “ In the class’s beginning, students are instructed to go home and talk to their par ents, telling them “exactly” what will be covered. And when the material on sex is about to begin, the students are again told to go home and talk to their parents. By doing this, it is hoped that students and parents will understand the extent of the course’s material. Also, parents are encouraged to sit in on classes. The major areas of dis cussion in the two week “sex education” period are the male-female reproductive system, how a female be comes pregnant, birth con trol and venereal disease. Other related topics are also touched on. Teachers of “Family Liv ing” usually bring in a num ber of speakers: doctors, nurses, ministers, etc. Ms. Chastain explains that these people are often more qual ified to talk about certain subjects than the teachers. When asked how much the students already know be fore entering the class, Ms. Chastain said that the stu dents seem to have miscon ceptions more than anything else. She says she’s found students most naive about parts of the body. The course uses a lot of “opinion type question aires” to help students real ize their thoughts and feelings on various sex re lated topics. There are no right and wrong answers in volved. Materials used in the course are obtained from a number of sources including the Forsyth County Health Department, the Hall County Healtn Department and the March of Dimes. A special “live’ birth” film is w never reach that point,” she says. Elizabeth Riggs, nursing program specialist with the State Department of Human Resources, says “family planning” is not having an impact on girls aged 15 and under. “These girls are hav ing accidents. They’re fall ing into sexual activity, rather than planning it. also shown to the students in the class. Besides the two weeks of sex education, “Family Liv ing” also includes discussion of such things as adoles cence, dating, “infatuation versus love,” engagement, marriage, money manage ment and even child devel opment. In this way, students get a well rounded exposure to what family life is all about. Ms. Chastain says she doesn’t know if the material on sex education has ever stopped anyone from having sex or has ever kept a girl from getting pregnant. Maryellen Raimondi, an other home economics tea cher who handles the course, says, “We can only hope we are giving them food for thought.” One thing the teachers do know is that the “Family Living” course “reaches a great deal of kids.” At 24 students per period each quarter (two periods in a quarter), 144 high school stu dents receive some sex va cation during the a year. Also, some minor % pec ts of sex may be touchy on An the school’s biology; health Entire Stock | TENNIS 1 SHOES FOR ALL THE FAMILY. Nike—Adidas—Keds—Kid Power This Week Only! *%20% m ' ?gO-Ke(fc- M (sale limited to stock on hand) “I’m not saying teenagers should plan sex, but from a health standpoint, I wish they would plan ahead.” she says. Birth control counseling and materials are available in Forsyth County for those who seek it mainly through the Forsyth County Health Department. (The health department also of fers family planning clinics and child development classes. If anything, stu dents learn from these courses something about hu man anatomy, healthful hu man activities and growth. The Home Economics de Jwt 217 Atlanta Rd. QnifA CtUlkiil' Phone Camming, Ga. 887-8600 xK^^reakfast B 2 Pork Chops 1 SPOCNII! § Grits S Gravy H ft Biscuits M $250 BREAKFAST SERVED , Monday thru Saturday 6a.m.-10:30a.m.; Sunday 7a.m.-l la.m, %A KHOU# on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month by appointment.) Also, there are those girls who become pregnant “out of spite,” according to Ms. Gober. TEike away the half that is careless and there is the half that has it planned in their minds. A girl’s reasoning for be coming pregnant is usually that she’s not receiving any partment offers two courses in child development. As for the “Family Liv ing” course, Ms. Chastain says, “We’re a far cry from perfect; we learn every time we teach the course.” : PARSONS ;U CUMMING love at home. By having a baby, she says she will hav ing something to love. “The girls think a baby is the an swer’,” says Ms. Gober, “and this is why they keep them.” Martha Chastain, home economics teacher at the high school, also has found that many girls believe that “if they’re in love, then it’s 0.k.” to engage in sex and run the risk of becoming pre- tltye Classic The “Finest In Men’s Wear" ( / 3 PC. CORDUROY SUITS s ßs*> , FREE AND IMMEDIATE ALTERATIONS. See you at the game. ;/«i ihSjh/ u»/\k* u / muu/ai /am m \\\y(K uv« 11 241 ATLANTA ROAD liii 887-6063 ILIZJ gnant. Another thing Chastain at tributes the situation to is the fact that kids today are “blasted” with sex from all around. “Television and movies show how wonderful and exciting it all is, but at home the kids are' told it’s wrong.” One anonymous individual commented, “It’s amazir.g they handle it as well as they do.”