Tackling the problem

Alicia Robinson

In the battle against Costa Mesa’s high teen pregnancy rate, some of

the most important warriors are people like Christina Torres.

A sophomore at Estancia High School, Torres devotes time after

school to groups such as Costa Mesa Teens Together, which held a

social event Friday to raise awareness about teen pregnancy with

skits and information.

“I like the topic of teen pregnancy because it’s affected me,”

Torres said of her activism. “Both of my sisters were teen parents,

so I thought I could help in some way.”

She and some other teens wrote and performed skits to show the

possible consequences when teens are sexually active, and last year

she performed skits and shared information on teen pregnancy with

health classes at her school.

Some teens may decide not to have sex if they understand what can

happen, and those who choose to have sex should know how to protect

themselves, Torres said.

“Maybe some teens don’t know where to go or don’t know how to say

no if they don’t want to,” she said.

Costa Mesa is one of Orange County’s “hot spots” for teen

pregnancy, said Adolfo Ventura of the Orange County council of

Campfire USA, which coordinates Costa Mesa Teens Together and other

youth service groups.

A statistic Torres gave to health classes last year -- that 21

girls in her school would get pregnant by the end of the school year

-- was nearly met, with about 20 girls becoming pregnant, she said.

While she hopes her work can change that, Torres said it’s already

helped her in other ways.

“Before I was really shy,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to speak in

front of people, and now I’ve done skits for four classes and I feel

like I can express myself more.”

Despite growing up in an environment in which it’s hard to stay

focused on future goals, Torres is a hard worker, a dedicated student

and a president of various youth clubs, Ventura said.

“She’s definitely an example to her community,” he said.

Costa Mesa Teens Together and other service learning groups show

young people like Torres that even teens can make a difference in

their community, Ventura said.

“We want them to get involved early in their [youth], when they’re

open to the needs of others,” he said. “That will help them carry the

theme of volunteering throughout their life.”

For information on Costa Mesa Teens Together or other programs

coordinated by Campfire USA, call (714) 838-9991 ext. 42.