It Won't Happen to My Family: Teen Pregnancy

Some might have had the chance to see the movie the "Pregnancy Pact" on Lifetime television recently and some may not have had a chance to see it yet. In this movie these teenage girls make a "pact" to all get pregnant at the same time so that they can raise their babies together. This is based on a true story that happened in Glouster, Massachusetts (see full article link below.) What would make these girls believe that their lives would be better, easier being a single mother, or did they actually believe that the boys that they were with actually loved them and would marry them?

According to an article on The Raw Story teen pregnancy rates have risen, (see full article link below.) Experts seem to believe that this is mainly due to the abstinence-only sex education given in schools. We would all love to believe that our teens are not having unprotected sex and we certainly would never want to believe that they would deliberately want to become pregnant. Yet, this is happening across our country and in some places sixth graders, yes you are reading correct sixth graders are becoming pregnant.

In a similar article relating to Suffolk County, Long Island there was been a growing rise in teen pregnancies. They believe that the rise in teen pregnancies is mostly related to poverty stricken families and lower middle-class areas. They also state like the movie some of these teenagers are getting pregnant to hold onto a boy, (see full article link below.) If schools and your financial situations are the reason for teen pregnancy then isn't it time for the parents to step up and teach these younger people?

In the movie they seem to stress the importance of providing condoms to the students. Now many feel that this is saying that it is okay for the teens to have sex. Personally, they are going to have sex anyway and believing they aren't going to have sex is just not being realistic. Many teens may be embarrassed to walk into a pharmacy and buy condoms. Condoms should be made available to those who at least choose to be responsible from STD's and pregnancy. If they are going to do it anyway why not at least given them a chance at being safe?

The movie did make a point to show how hard giving birth is. In the movie the school offered baby-sitting, but not all make it in so many have to drop out of school. Most schools do not even offer this option and most parents can't be full time baby-sitters. Why did these girls not have better dreams for themselves? Why did they think they needed a baby? Did no one teach them how hard it is even under the very best of circumstances to raise children?

Once again, communication! You must start talking to your children early and keep those lines open. As I have mentioned in my previous articles it isn't easy you do have to be prepared sometimes to hear more information than you really want to know. No one wants their teen to come up to them and say they are thinking of or are having sex, yet unfortunately this is what you would rather hear and prepare them of the consequences and risks than to find out when its too late when you are going to be a grandparent. Make a pact that it won't happen to your family. Keep all the lines open between you and your children at all times! It is time to make a difference and stop all these teen pregnancies, let them just be teens. Life is complicated enough they need to just enjoy being a kid for as long as they possibly can!

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_teen_pregnancy_rate_up_for_first_01262010.html

http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/01/07/teen-pregnancy-in-suffolk-is-a-growing-problem/

This was originally published on Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-33498-Long-Island-Parenting-Teens-Examiner