CHLI and the Girl Scouts Shed Light on the Crisis Facing Young Latinas (HISPANIC PR WIRE, 3.23.07)
At a congressional briefing held today, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and the Girl Scouts of USA (GSUSA) shed light to the crisis facing Latina teenagers and discussed ways to work together with other organizations to reach out to Latinas.
Patricia Diaz Dennis, the GSUSA Chairwoman, shared the alarming statistics associated with the significant health and social disparities among Latina teenagers:
17% of Latina adolescents attempt suicide – their rate is more than 150% higher than other girls.
24% of Hispanic teenagers get pregnant, which is the highest pregnancy rate of any of their peers (other statistics show this rate at 51%).
One of every five Latina teenager is obese.
Latinas are at disproportionately high risk for HIV, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
One-quarter of all Latina girls drop out of school.
BTW: The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute is separate from the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, a Democrat party entity engulfed in controversy
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