What do you think about teen pregnancy?

Roughly 1,100 teenage girls give birth in the United States every day. According to the Center for Disease Control that means every ten new mothers is a teenager.  That’s crazy to think about considering I’m a teenage girl myself. Teenage pregnancy among girls is never a good thing to deal with because it lessens the chance of the girl finishing school and enjoying her teenage years. And yet girls still choose to have sex and put themselves at risk for this sort of thing to happen.

I think teenagers in general, guys and girls, need to think about the risks of having sex so they don’t end up with a child. Schools could try new techniques in health class to get a better point across to teens about how a child will affect their lives. I don’t think many teenagers even know how much a newborn child will cost. I bet it doesn’t even cross their minds to know how much diaper’s, baby formula and clothes will begin to cost them. For example baby formula is usually around $15 per can so that’s around $2000 for the first year. The average amount spent on clothes for the first year is $60 per month so that’s $720 for the year. The average yearly cost of diapers is $1,080, and the average child wears diapers for three years. So that is $3,240 for the first three years of the child’s life just spent on diapers. Imagine if you had twins, or even triplets. So let’s face it: having a baby is very costly and is hard for two teenagers to afford, especially if the girl is going at it alone. This leads me to say that most teen relationships end when the couple gets pregnant according to online polls. Guys usually end up leaving their pregnant girlfriend because of cost, being scared and not wanting the responsibility.

As the saying goes, “One quick hump can give you the bump,” so girls should remember that next time they decide to get in bed with a guy. Because in reality, things happens and teenagers can never be protected enough from pregnancy. That’s why experts say abstinence is the key. So girls and guys, think a little more about teenage pregnancy, and decide to stay safe and avoid this situation, because it’s better to wait to start a family and be prepared rather then start one when nobody is ready it.

By: Sierra Coay

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