I have always been an honors student. I hung out with kids who by society's definition are weird, but smart. They're the ones who love celebrating pi day (which is March 14th by the way) and find children's movies to some of their favorites. I didn't hang out with people who did drugs, were promiscuous, drank, or smoked. My friends just didn't get into trouble, but last year, things changed.
One of my closest friends had issues with her mom. She was very strict and my friend couldn't handle that. She wanted to go live with someone else, but, of course, her mom would not allow it. So, without telling anyone, she planned, with her boyfriend, to get pregnant. She thought this would get her kicked out for sure. When the time rolled around to tell her mom that she was going to have a baby, however, her mother supported her. It wasn't until my friend was well into her pregnancy that she finally moved out. Again, she didn't tell any of her friends this, and she moved far away.
It was in this new town, without people she had known for very long to support her and help her, that she had her baby boy. He was premature, and my friend almost died due to complications with her liver. I was afraid for her health, and I was afraid for the safety of the baby. She missed out on a lot of school, and now she's back home again. But her story makes me wonder about teenage pregnancy. Are there others out there with stories like that of my friend? How many teenagers are getting pregnant? I decided to do some research to find out.
I found several interesting and alarming statistics. According to an article in the New York Times Titled "Teenage Birth Rate Rises First Time Since '91", the birth rate of teens 15 to 19 years of age increased by 3% in 2006. It attributes this rising rate to the policy of abstinence-only being taught in schools. Another article I read said that women who had experienced strife in their homes as children had a much higher percentage of teenage pregnancies, 53% percent as opposed to 16% percent of those who had not experienced a bad home life. Pregnantteenhelp.org even says that two-thirds of teenage mothers won't graduate high school- a scary thought. There was even a big story in the news this summer about a group of girls in Gloucester Massachusetts making a pact to get pregnant and raise their children together. All of these are frightening to think about.
Fortunately there are several programs out there to prevent teenage pregnancy and to help pregnant teenagers. Most, if not all, high schools offer some sexual education program. Although some may teach abstinence only, others teach about contraceptives and ways to deal with being pregnant. If your school doesn't off this kind of sexual education, you can always talk to a nurse or a counselor. They are there to help and they are glad to. Some schools and community centers even have support groups for pregnant teenagers. Additionally, places like Planned Parenthood offer help to teenagers expecting children. For girls wishing to continue their education there are a lot of scholarships and aid just waiting to be taken up by bright young mothers. If you or someone you know is pregnant, let them know that they have options. These can give better futures to struggling teens.
So there you have it. A few pieces of information on teenage pregnancy. Thanks for reading.
