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Study Shows Alarming Teen Views on Pregnancy, Contraception

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What is wrong with you? You are so closed-minded. I am 17 and I am 4 1/2 months pregnant with my first baby. It's difficult, yes, but it's still equally as rewarding as it would have been if I were a college graduate and already married. I'm getting married tomorrow, the baby's father has a full-time job, I have a car, and I'm about to graduate. I'd say life is pretty well put together. And just because I'm having a baby does not mean I won't go to college. I thrived in school and I plan to do just the same in college while still taking care of my baby. Life was never meant to be easy; and those of us who do have our babies and aren't so cowardly as to abort/or kill them, are only stronger. If you can go through school, have a baby, continue to go through school after the baby's born, maintain a job, pursue a career, and in the process watch your little one grow and teach them all that your challenging life has taught you, you're a way better person than someone who just kills their baby to resolve their problems. God does not promote abortions, and churches don't do it to get more followers. I'm not a church-goer myself, but I do know they do it because abortion is wrong in every way. Unless you were raped, you have no business killing your baby. Adoption is another alternative you know? Some women are even braver than us who keep our babies. They are strong enough to let their baby be taken care of by someone who can give them more than they can as their biological parents. I was adopted, but I chose not to put my baby up for adoption because I love her to death, so much that I would never be strong enough to let her go. She is my pride and joy and people like you, who only see the dark side of premarital babies, are truly sad. It does not matter when a baby is born or made. He or she is still a human being. He or she is still meant to be loved; and their parents, who are irresponsible teenagers, barely getting a grasp on life sure as hell do grow up fast. I was mature for my age before but now... it's a whole different story. Everything changes and I wouldn't give it up for the world. I love my fiance and I love my baby to death. If I could go back in time and not have gotten pregnant, I wouldn't... And it's been no easy road. My mom was pissed when she found out and it's still an ongoing struggle with her. She's forever disappointed in me...and that was the hardest thing for me to deal with because we've always been very close. My husband and I have to move in with his parents until the baby is born and we can save enough money to move out. But overall, as I've said, having a baby this young can only make you stronger. You don't have to be married or be a certain age or have completed college... You just have to be willing to give that little baby all you've got and more. You can still complete college and have a job and do everything you've always wanted to do; you just get to do it with your baby. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

Lacey of MI 12:24AM August 10, 2012

Your commentary speaks volumes, especially considering Gov. Christie's recent 7.5 million dollar funding veto against Planned Parenthood in New Jersey-- an organization funded since the early 1970s!
Slashing funding to NJ public schools was not enough, apparently. As schools now struggle to "do more with less"-- (read: learn to do without), now women and men who seek healthcare must now learn to do without, as well.
Last year, family planning centers in NJ provided: preventive reproductive healthcare to 126,903 women and 9,461 men; more than 70,000 breast exams; more than 65,000 Pap tests; HIV tests to more than 27,000 people; services to 97,129 men and women without health insurance.
If New Jersey lawmakers eliminate state funding to Family Planning clinics, thousands of people will have less affordable access to the health care they need.
Let's see.... slashing of funds for our public education system..... slashing of funds to Family Planning health care faciliites.... I shudder to think what's next.
For those teenagers who will now have limited access to reproductive education, health care, and related services, the future looks bleak.
I am reminded of the scene in The Christmas Carol, where Scrooge says, referring to the needy, "Are there no prisions? Are there no workhouses?" Oh, wait. Isn't that Gov. Christie's line of thinking?
Food for thought.
Sheila

Sheila of NJ 11:45AM August 06, 2010

We as parents are held responsible for our children. They need the proper education on these subject matters. Parents need to more accountable for talking with their children in order for them to understand all the consequences that follows.T here are too many teens getting pregnant and can not take care of the child. Some rely on their parents to help them with their child and you have others who go out in the world to try and make it the best way they know how. Teens should not have to struggle so hard in life if they were taught to make the right decision. I talk every day to teens that I know and I tell them how hard it is to make it in today,s society.

Synthie Anderson of SC 8:20PM June 10, 2010

Just to clarify, what doesn't work is Abstinence Only education. When you simply teach kids to "wait" but don't offer any help, support, advice, information about what to do if you don't wait, they end up with and STD and/or pregnant.
Parents need to step up and talk consistently to their kids about their values, waiting, resisting pressure, AND STD and pregnancy prevention. When kids have lots of info from their families, they do better.
And the sooner the better. Don't wait until they are 10 to start the conversation - it needs to start at 5 or 6 and then continue through adolescence.

Amy Lang of WA 10:27AM June 10, 2010

President Obama has to go up to the hill, the right is spending millions of dollars attacking him and you have those politicians as Rangel that are corrupt and are not happy with him.
Rangel made a nasty comment against Obama and the reason is that president Obama is trying to clean the party of those people that always use race to put money in their pocket some people has bad memory this is the same man that was against Obama and tried to sabotage his eledtion in Harlem.
President Obama deserve a lot of credit the reason some of those that make a living using the poor people against every thing that favor them, take a close look at Charter Schools some of those people that always have race in their mouth are the one that are attacking the process where those poor kids could get a good education.
Do not forget Jessy that wanted the blacks kids in the school to learn getto languish because he is already rich and his children speak proper English, that is life I guess that the black community needs new black leader and I think that President Obama cannot do to much the reason that all those element are a fifh column in his own party!

Felix of NY 10:07AM June 08, 2010

I guess this pretty boils down to how society is shaped. TV talks about sex, magazines discuss sexual pleasures and teen relationships, peers talk about sexual encounters and everything is seemingly pleasant. it is in our culture that sex becomes something forbidden, yet common and exciting. if you haven't experienced it, how would you know if it's bad and if you havent been pregnant or caught a disease, it remains enjoyable.
we cannot stop people from having sex or discussing about teenage or pre marital sex but we can constantly educate them what happens if things go wrong, the impact that could potentially ruin a young adult's life. what becomes more important is not the pleasure but the consequence that might potentially come along with.
if you look on the internet today, you will see millions of questions posted by teenagers about symptoms of pregnancy, STDs, how to have safe and yet pleasurable sex etc...they are afraid of the consequences but do not have access to proper answers.
im not saying that we instill fear into them as fear generates curosity and lures them to experience it themselves.
this will be the job of parents, schools and consumer goods manufacturers who can constantly emphasize the need for sex education and the positive results it might yield.
if we were to leave the task to teenagers and assume that they will have self discipline in this age of rampent tv dramas, magazine advertorials, internet, big bad wolfs and peer pressure, then they will be doomed for sure.

Blacksnow 1:10AM June 08, 2010

Our media has glorified sex the past few decades with only few times showing the possible consequences. Most of the time, the couples in the movies, or the TV series, have sex and don't get caught, don't get STDs, or face the possibility of pregnancy. Even today's music has promoted sex among teens as though it is some type of rite or ritual one must do before entering adulthood.
We need more parents being...well, PARENTS!!! Dads, tell your sons to keep their pants zipped and their hands to themselves. Moms,tell your daughters that waiting is a good thing. Tell them not to buy into lies like "If you love me, you'll..." or "If we practice safe sex..." I like to see people succeed and your daughters should be able to have that chance without messing up their lives for some idiot who didn't have your daughter's best interests at heart.
"But we've seent that abstinence doesn't work!" Really? You mean to tell me that girl who did not have sex got pregnate by her boyfriend? You mean to say that a guy gave his girl AIDS when he didn't have sexual relations with her? Yes, there will be those who won't follow the rules. They'll do the opposite of what they are told. The best thing to do is to let them face the consequences and love them. Support them and try to help them to get back on the right track.

Patrick of KY 5:17PM June 07, 2010

my 10 year old daughter sally want's to have sex and get pregnant
what shell i do

karren lane of AL 3:36AM June 07, 2010

Another article about teen pregnancy and almost nothing is said in either the article or the comments about teaching the boys to be the abstainers, the avoiders of last resort, the limit setters, the loving protectors of the girls they date.
Show me a dad who has explained to son both how to have very realistic solo sex as a teen and explained honestly WHY sex with a partner only works its very best in marriage (because of all the emotions involved with both the male and female), and I'll show you a kid who is quite unlikely to be littering the landscape with unwed teen mothers.

Muser of NM 10:00PM June 06, 2010

is the reason young people need a well formed character. You won't find moral character in most public schools, in what passes for music, on TV, videos, commercials or movies. Hollywood dumps its filth on our youth and most parents are too busy being the child's "friend" rather than a parent.
Parents give them an iPhome, a laptop and toss them the car keys - What in hell do you expect?

R.L. Schaefer of CA 3:07PM June 06, 2010