@Dr. C: I live in southern Texas. We, too, have terribly high rates of teenage pregnancy in part because the families think it is perfectly acceptable. Since middle school my daughter has gone to school with pregnant peers, and now in high school she knows 16 girls who are on baby number two.
According to a 2006 report based on 2002 numbers, our state was number two behind California for highest rates of teenagers giving birth. By 2004 Texas was declared number one, with Hispanic girls ages 15 to 19 accounting for 61 percent of teen births even though only 39 percent of Texas adolescents were Hispanic. In addition, 24% of these births were not a first birth.
Then, teenage pregnancy in our county ranks highest among the 11 most populated counties in Texas. As my daughter says with a sad laugh, at least we are number one in something.
News reports such as this one: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/110507dnmetteenbirths.35daddb.html , tend to blame sex education lacks, but quite frankly I see all around me families who seem to welcome the grandchild without considering that this will extend the cycle of poverty and struggle to yet another generation. We have a strong link to Mexican culture locally and the problem is that the attitude of the people you work with in San Quintin towards early motherhood was brought here several generations ago and survives to this day. This is in spite of all the programs and evidence that show the true cost of early parenthood.
What this all comes down to is you don’t have to go as far as Ensenada to find a similar situation. The primary exception is that our local folks won’t be as grateful. They believe they are owed medical care. We are losing OB/GYNs right and left in our county, so if the folks in San Quintin ever are willing to let you go, you would be welcome to settle here any time. I suspect your stats would be similar.