Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1 January 1984 — HE MAU NINAU OLA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HE MAU NINAU OLA

Questions About Health by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D.

Besides focusing on "end-stage" alcoholism of adults and its eomplications, we po'e Elawai'i also need to be giving attention to adolescent alcoholism and prevention of this growing epidemic within our society. A report on unintended teen-age pregnancies among po'e Hawai'i has been reviewed by the OHA Health and Human Resources Committee. Kamuela Apuna says that the committee has not yet decided on any specific action. perhaps because other agencies are active. We po'e Hawai'i have the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in our state for girls less than 1 8 years of age, according to Marta Levitt-Marin, former coordinator of the Hawai'i Demonstration Project to Avert Unintended Teenage Pregnancy. Of the 426 prenancies by teenage po'e Hawai'i in 1 98 1 , 60 per cent resulted in live births, 27 per cent in abortions, and 3 per cent as fetal deaths. These figures represent a higher proportion of live births and a lower proportion of abortions compared to the other ethnic groups. However. "no prenatal care" was twice as high for pregnant teenagers as for all pregnant po'e Hawai'i, and 87 per cent of teen births were "illegitimate" compared to 76 per cent statewide. Three non-OHA programs are attempting to meet the needs of teenage pregnancies: (1) Kapi'olani Children's

Medical Center is providing special counseling and education to all pregnant teenagers under 18. (2) On Kaua'i, services for teenage po'e are now coordinated in collaboration with the Kaua'i Teen Project. (3) The State Department of Education Windward School District is developing a K-12 Life Education Supplement to be integrated with the statewide heahh curriculum. This instruction will include sexuality, contraception. parenting, personal responsibility, decision-making. and problem-solving to reach all public school students. Contrast this modern heahh andsocial problem with the situation in Hawai'i kahiko as described by Kawena Puku'i. In pre-haole Hawai'i, teenage pregnancies were usual, socially accepted, and therefore not a problem at all. Every baby was desired, he pua, a flower to be treasured as assurance of perpetuation of the lahui and of our traditions. There was no such thing as an "illegitimate" infant. Prenatal, natal and postnatal care were provided within the 'ohana by experienced pale keiki and only rarely required a kahuna hanaukeiki. Child-rearing was the responsibility of older siblings, as well as makua and kupuna. Education was part of living and vice versa. This contrast in social attitudes between the old and the new reminds us how far we po'e Hawai'i have ventured from out traditional culture.