A Nov. 7 report described the overall status of girls age 10 to 19 in Wisconsin, showing some “shocking” statistics in regards to both health issues and racial differences.

The Status of Girls report, sponsored by Alverno College and state women’s groups, showed 42 percent of girls 15 or younger reported their first sexual contact was not consensual, and almost one-third of high school girls reported drinking five or more drinks in a single sitting at least once in the past month.

Kathleen O’Brien, Alverno College’s senior vice president for academic affairs, found the statistics on non-consensual sexual contact “pretty shocking.”

“We keep blaming girls for the high teen pregnancy rate, especially in the central city areas, and yet, is it really their fault?” O’Brien said.

Racial disparities within the statistics raise concern as well. Lorraine Lathan, a health consultant who helped to review the report, said she saw a bigger picture behind the data on sexual education and reproductive health of minorities.

“My concern is if [girls] are actually getting medically accurate, age-appropriate sexual education,” Lathan said regarding girls in inner-city schools.

This particular issue, according to Lathan, helps explain the high pregnancy and infant mortality rates and the low educational attainment of many African-American women in Wisconsin’s central cities.

“Gender intersects with racial and other cultural issues as well, and we need to understand the intersection of those two better,” said Elaine Maly, chair of the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said she is using the report as a catalyst for an economic development initiative for women, looking specifically into issues like education, economic security and political leadership.

“All of the issues correlate,” Lawton said. “What is most important is that we address the economic status of women beginning with girls.”

Lawton said she hopes that continuing studies will allow people to see what is happening between youth and adulthood, so Wisconsin can “raise the grade for women by looking at the status of girls.”

The purpose of the study, according to Alverno researcher Austin Doherty, is to raise awareness that will promote further research on the various problems affecting girls in Wisconsin.