Colorado

Laws for Controversial Practices

In 2008, when polygamists bought properties in Westcliffe, a community 2.5 hours from Denver, the neighbors were concerned about property values and curious about what to do about defecting members, but generally did not socialize with the newcomers. Polygamy is illegal in the United States but practiced in several states, Colorado being the newest. In 1996, State Senator Dorothy Rupert of Boulder first introduced a bill outlawing female genital mutilation (FGM), making it a child abuse crime; the bill took four attempts before passing in 2000. The bill affected the 20,000 Muslims in Colorado, particularly Ethiopians and Somalians, who retained the traditions of their native lands. There have been no prosecutions.

Domestic abuse is a problem for mothers and women in general. In 2007, Colorado had 38 fatal domestic abuse cases that resulted in 49 deaths. The victims were 18 to 84 years of age and the perpetrators 17 to 82; 25 of the victims were females killed by a male partner. Domestic abuse shelters had insufficient capacity in 2007 and had to turn away 6,341 people.

Prenatal Care and Childbearing in Colorado

Prenatal care rates between 2002 and 2006 were 78.3 percent in Colorado, below the national rate

of 83.9 percent in 2005. The Healthy People 2010

initiative set a target of 90 percent. Prenatal care in the first trimester was more likely for women 25 and older, while mothers aged 10–14 were least likely to receive early care. Teen fertility in Colorado has been declining since 1992, with the exception of Hispanic teens. The rate for teens aged 15–17 rose 11 percent over the same period. The rate for Hispanic teens in 2003 was over six times that for whites and double that of African Americans. Hispanic teens aged 13 and 14 had a 2003 fertility rate 10 times higher than that of whites, and five times the rate for African Americans.

Most of this childbearing is outside marriage. The latest census data indicates that 80 percent of births to those under 20 were out of wedlock; the 1970 rate was 44 percent. Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school, be single parents, and be poor. Their children are sicker, slower in cognitive development, more likely to have behavioral problems, and more likely to be teen parents.

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