Cyvonne Gaines

Ladies In Training Cyvonne Gaines

Research finds that by middle school, 40-70 percent of girls are dissatisfied with two or more parts of their body, and body satisfaction hits rock bottom between the ages of 12 and 15[1]. In the Journal of Youth and Adolescence the study "The Dynamics of Self-Esteem: A Growth-Curve Analysis" found girls' self-esteem plummets at age 12 and doesn't improve until 20, and-unhappiness is attributed to changes in body shape[2]. A survey conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy found 32.7% of sexually experienced black girls aged 15-19 reported having 2 or more male partners in the last year. Research done by Girls Inc., showed that among black girls between the ages of 12-18 tested for sexually transmitted diseases, 25% tested positive for at least one STD, with chlamydia and gonorrhea most prevalent. Although black girls made up about 15% of all U. S. girls between the ages 13 and 19, they accounted for 72% of all HIV cases reported among young women. Many rap videos heavily promote sex without consequences. We can see the results are devastating[3]. [1] Cash, Thomas F., and Thomas Pruzinsky. Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford, 2002. Print. [2] Journal of Youth and Adolescence [3] Images of Black Women in Music Videos by Valerie Johnson http: //raprehab.com/images-of-black-women-in-music-videos/