A8 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Poverty, racism are factors.
in teenage sex, study says"

By SARAH A.

ZIMMERMAN
IF YOU ask teens in Ter-
race what factors lead to
high rates of teen preg-
nancy and sexually trans-
mitted infections here the
answer is nol as simple as
you might first think.

Decisions aboul sex are
linked to factors ranging
from self-esteem, poverty
levels, alcohol. and drug
use to ethnicity, a resear-
cher from the University of
B.C. has found.

"We definitely come
from the perspective that
sexual health is related to
many different things,”
says Denielle Elliott, who
first started interviewing
teens here last summer.

Terrace is one of three
regions Elliott is visiting
over three years, including
Prince George and 100
Mile House. It’s part of a
federally financed study to
help design local strate-
gies to reduce high rates of
teen pregnancy and infec-
tions.

Elliott speaks to teens
and adults about how the
culture and environment in
a community influences
the sexual behaviour of
young people living in
rural areas,

Statistics from the B.C,
Centre of Disease. Control
in 2000 show the rate of
teen pregnancy in the Fer-

race area ranged from 26-_

32 per 1,000 10-19 year
old people. it’s the highest
teen pregnancy rate of the
three communities in the
study.

The former Northern In-
terior Health Board which
includes Prince George re-
ported a teen pregnancy
rate of 20.5-26 per 1,000

_nothing to. do,”

DENIELLE ELLIOTT and Kyla Vieweger, UBC researchers, came to Terrace in
June, Elliott’s returning next week to follow up with area teens. FILE PHOTO

and 100 Mile House’s Car-
iboo Health Region saw
that rate drops to 7.5-15.5
per 1,000.

Elliott conducted do-
zens of interviews with
teens in June discussing
everything from sex to
waht they do in their spate
time,

A major problem teens
cited was-having nothing
to do — especially those

young people who come

from poor backgrounds.

“If you talked to youth
from more impoverished
families they said there is
Elliott
says. “Almost all of them
said, ‘oh, I go to the Fri-
day night swim,’ il was
something that was really
important to them.”

Programs offered
through the Kermodei
Friendship Centre gives
aboriginal youth something
to do.as well, she said.

“Elliott has met with

teens in Terrace and 100
Mile House, but has yet to
go to Prince George.

So far, the biggest dif-
ference between 100 Mile
and Terrace is an apparent
divide between aboriginal
and non-aboriginal teens.

“Aboriginal youth
talked a lot about racism,”
she says about teens in
Terrace, positing ‘issues

‘that affect that could be
the econamy and the per-
ceived over-allocation of
resources to aboriginal
people over non-aborigi-
nals,

. “100 Mile. is as white
as white can get except for
Canim Lake,” she says.
“Racism just doesn’t hap-
pen in 100 Mile. You don’t
have kids say they hear ra-
cist comments.”

While it’s too early to
say exactly what effect ra-
cism and poverty have on
sexual decisions, Elliott
believes all the issues are

linked to the higher teen
pregnancy and sexually
transmitted infection rates
here compared to other re-
gions.

“I left Terrace thinking
this isn’t about whether or
not we have enough con-
doms or sex education in
schools,” she says. “When
everyone’s getting educa-

tion and knowledge and —

it’s still happening there's
something else going on.”
Elliott returns to Ter-
race Nov. 16-21 to recon-
nect with some of the
young people she spoke to
this summer. She will |
speak to more youth, con-
duct formal interviews
with area service providers
and especially wants to
speak to parents of teens
between the ages of 13-19.
Anyone interested in
participating in the study
is invited to contact Elliott
at her toll-free number 1-
877-327-7867,

Police seek alleged groper

POLICE are investigating
claims by three local girls
that they were groped by
an unknown man last week
while walking downtown.

The incident happened
al 9 pm. Nov. 6 on
Lakelse Ave. near the
Subway restaurant, say po-
lice.

The girls said they first
noticed the man following
them earlier in the. day
when they were at the

Call your local travel agent

Skeena Mail,
Sat, Jas Basi.
“Several hours later
they were in the area of
Lakelse Ave. and he
grabbed two of the girls by
the buttocks,” Basi says.
One of the girls kicked
the man in the groin and
the trio - made up of girls

says Staff

aged 12-16 — ran away, he

says.
The man is described as
Native, between . 30-40

years old wearing ripped
jeans, a grey sweater and
a knitted toque with ear-
flaps which hang down to
the shoulders.

Police ‘say the man did

Terrace & District Community Services Society
would like fo say

“Thank You"

Terrace Totem Ford

for the loan of your Ford courtesy van to
safely transport our employees home following
our recent Employee Recognition evening.

YOUR GENEROSITY IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

“Cairne.

|
a he wi

Sale date Nov. 1-30, 2003
4643 Park Avenue, Terrace

For a limited time at participating Daity Queen restaurants, 2003 AM. 0.0. Comp,
L Mpls, MN. Price Vatid on specilied sizes anly. Sea store for details,

SOMETHING

DIFFERENT

dalryqueen,com d

not speak to the girls and ©
none of them were injured,

just shaken up.

-=Police are asking. any-
one with information about
this incident ta contact
them at 638-7400.

Did you a know, nore than 15 oen-heart surgeries are ro performed Rn ‘ A

each year at B.C:s Children’s Hospital, and 20 percent of these =

. Chlidren Hospital
surgeries are jerformed on patients younger than one year old? wondtinco

Terrace Return-lt Centre
2905 Kenney Street, Terrace

Your authorized

Bottle Depot —

~ Return all your deposit
beverage containers!

Ph/Fax: 635-3779
Mon-Fri. 9:30am - 6:00pm
Saturday Noon - 6:00pm
Closed Sundays

GOODJYEAR

Wrangler Ulira Grip
Light Truck Winter Radic}

Save °80 tie

GoopsYEAR
— Fortera HL
Rugged Style for Luxury SUVs

Save-5100 clit

<

Naat

ot traction?

"fires: See rela tor feralia Ad
os Kt ee op

Save up to 100!"

" coenfieam

GOODSTYEAR

| Fogle Ulira Grip Ulira Grip Ite Ultra Grip
High Performance Winter Rodial Performance Winter Rail Winter Radiol Pinned for Studs

Save 560 i four 2

Save °B0 i, a

‘raed dasign moy nol nek Hosted,

Save °60 sii,

m Founicin Tie.
Ss De elcler
coonf¥ran pene
Wrangler MIR Aquatred 3 wheels
Premium Off-Road Radial Outstanding Wet/Dry Traction ‘ola
Save 100 sist Save 80 afk for :

So os Tires ear with the pictogtan
“fo ofa peaked mountain with,

FOUNTAIN TIRE (TERRACE) |

4641 Keith Avenue « Terrace, BC
Phone: 250-635-4344

Manager: BK (Smitty) Smith

smitty.smith @fountaintire.com