Are We Promoting Teen Sex and Pregnancy?

Promoting Teen Sex and Pregnancy

It has been a year since I talked about this subject. It was about talking to my daughter about teen sex and pregnancy. Now, at the age of eighteen and a senior in high school, she is beginning to see the world through the eyes of an adult. That reality became clear when she came home one day to tell me about two students becoming parents at a young age.

The question asked was…at what age is it too young to be a parent?

I gave her the best answer I could…what did she think?

It seems, and this came as no surprise to me, that a young boy and girl just found out that the girl was pregnant. In a small town such as the one we live in, there isn’t much for the teenagers to do around here and most of the parents are leaving them unsupervised. What could this possibly lead too? Yup! Baby!

It didn’t take me long to figure out who my daughter was talking about.

A year ago, the young boy lost his thirty-two year old mother to a blood clot in the leg. To deal with her death, he started to beg his dad to let him hang out with his friends more. He was fifteen at the time. Since his dad was also dealing with the death of his wife and his daughter, he didn’t see any problem with it. The young boy met a girl of fourteen. They had been dating for a few months, when she found out she was pregnant. Amazingly enough, neither parent of the young couple realized what they were up to, or that a baby was on the way. Now this young couple, barley babies themselves will have, to figure out how to raise a child.

Simple steps can be taken to avoid situations like this.

Communication is the key!

Talk to your child.

Find out who they are dating.

Ask if they are using protection.

If they are adamant about having sex, get them birth control and promote using condoms.

Mainly, let the child know that they can come to you to talk to you about these things without being punished.

My husband thought that by talking about the act, was making it ok to due the act. I, on the other hand, thought information and communication was the key to a healthy relationship. My children were glad we had taken the time to talk to them about these things, answering any questions or just discussing what teenagers were thinking when they found out they were pregnant and couldn’t figure out why.

The season for prom is coming up. Now is the best time as any to talk to your child about prom and teen sex. If these things are too uncomfortable to talk about, find a way to get the message off by joking about it.

Here are a few examples:

A child’s mind is like a sponge therefore, if properly prepared will run wild with imagination. Use it! Or have them watch Grumpy Old Men!

Five Somewhat Scary Images Leading to Sex:

1. Imagine Grandma or Grandpa in a thong bikini if the need to fondle arises.
2. Stories of their great grandparents currently making out will do the trick. (Ever seen Grandpa take out his teeth to give Grandma a kiss, then slap her on the butt?)
3. A well placed fumigation of body functions will delay the fondling action. Most are too busy laughing to think about what comes next.
4. Burping in the mouth of the one they are kissing.
5. When was the last time you washed your hands or showered before fondling that thing?

I used more scare tactics than anything to get the message across to my children.

Have them look up the statistics of an STD.

Girls need to be aware of the statistics of cervical cancer that begins at a young age.

Boys need to realize that girls aren’t to be used as a sport or breeding ground. Boys can be a carrier of an STD without even knowing it.

What to do when the condom breaks?

Did you know that an antibiotic will cancel out birth control?

I can only pray for this young couple and the baby they are about to have. I hope for their sake that things work out for the best. In the mean time, remember prom is just a few months away. Are you prepared to be a grandparent?

A Teen Parent, Overcoming the Statistics is about choosing to be a parent at a young age and the challenges one faces.