Study Finds Consequence of Teen Motherhood Lasts Generations

There are many reasons why most parents would prefer that their teenagers do not become parents. A study adds another thing to add to that list. The consequence of teen motherhood lasts for generations. PLOS One posted a study titled: “The multigenerational effects of adolescent motherhood on school readiness: A population-based retrospective cohort study.” The study was done by one researcher who was from the Stratford University in the United States, one researcher was from the Manitoba Center for Health Policy, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and two other researchers who were from the Manitoba Center for Health Policy and the … Continue reading →

Robot Babies Don’t Prevent Teen Pregnancy

When you were in high school, you might have been assigned to carry around an egg, or a baby doll, as part of your sexual education coursework. It provided just enough awkwardness, and annoyance, to make teens realize that being a parent can be difficult. Today, some teens are assigned to care for a robot baby. Unfortunately, these adorable robot babies don’t prevent teen pregnancy. Robot babies are infant simulators with wireless programing and reporting capabilities. At first glance, you might think it was a real baby. The robot baby will cry when it needs to be fed, burped, rocked, … Continue reading →

Teen Birth Rate Hits All Time Low

A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the number of babies being born to mothers who are teenagers is at an all time low. It has been consistently dropping for the past two decades. More research is needed to conclusively determine what caused the decrease. According to the CDC study, from 2006 to 2014, the birth rate for teens aged 15-19 years declined 41% overall. The greatest decline was for Hispanic teens (51%), followed by non-Hispanic blacks (44%), and non-Hispanic whites (35%). The birth rate ratio also declined for black teens compared with … Continue reading →

Babies Having Babies

I had just crossed the threshold into teenhood when CBS ran a Schoolbreak Special called: “Babies Having Babies.” It was directed by Martin Sheen and starred my idol Lori Loughlin and Jill “The Love Boat” Whelan as pregnant teens who meet up at a group counseling session. The show was one of my first introductions to the relatively unknown world of teenage motherhood and a far cry from today’s mega-hyped MTV reality TV hits “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom.” Critics have long claimed that both series glamourize teen pregnancy and encourage young girls to procreate outside of marriage. Meanwhile, … Continue reading →

My Story: I was a teen mom

I was pregnant at 17 years old; my daughter was born after I turned 18, though. I would never say I regret having my daughter, she’s one of the best things to ever happen to me, but I will say that my life has been far from easy, and I would never recommend that anyone follow the same path I did. And I was one of the lucky ones… I was lucky that I was far enough through high school when I got pregnant that I was able to finish and get my diploma before my baby was born; I … Continue reading →

Changes In Teens’ Attitude About Pregnancy

The latest news concerning teen pregnancy is a little troubling. The CDC reports that teens are less worried about pregnancy than in the past. While the percentage of teens having sex has not changed much since 2002, the attitude towards having a child out of wedlock has changed quite a bit. The majority of teens, according to the survey, believe it is okay for an unmarried woman to have a baby. Another interesting fact included in the report is about the most common methods of birth control among teens. The withdrawal method of birth control, also jokingly referred to as … Continue reading →

Parents Play a Pivotal Role in Reducing Teen Pregnancy

In the midst of a debate over the best way to lower teen pregnancy rates, whether it is through teaching abstinence or informing teens about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and methods of birth control, the story of an eleven-year-old girl giving birth to a baby, to me screams, “neither is working!” The fact is, teachers can preach and teach until they are blue in the face, but until parents take initiative in teaching their own children about sex, teen pregnancy is not going anywhere. Teens are constantly being bombarded with images of teen sexuality in television, movies, books … Continue reading →

Interview With MTV’s Teen Mom – Amber

Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of talking with Amber from MTV’s Teen Mom. Before I even got to the second question, I realized, it doesn’t even sound like I am talking to a teen. Amber has learned a lot as a teen mom, she says, and it was apparent as she discussed the challenges and joys of becoming a parent. Along with growing responsibilities, she has become more mature. Things have changed a lot, but as Amber said, “it’s a good way of change.” We talked about how she would have done things differently if given the chance, and … Continue reading →

What Would You Like To Ask A Teen Mom?

This past summer I wrote about a series on MTV called “16 and Pregnant,” a show that follows the life of a teen throughout her pregnancy. Each episode depicts a different teen’s trials of dealing with relationships, high school, parents, jobs and becoming a parent. Now MTV is coming out with a new show, a sequel called “Teen Mom.” This series will depict the difficulties of young parenthood. I have had the privilege of previewing the show, which will first air next Tuesday night, and on Friday I’ll have the opportunity to interview one of the cast members. I would … Continue reading →

Should We Pay Teens to Not Get Pregnant?

Have you heard about College Bound Sisters? It is a program in Greensboro, North Carolina that is designed to prevent teen pregnancy. The program targets younger sisters of teen mothers who are between the ages of 12 and 16, want to go to college, have never been pregnant and are willing to attend an hour and a half meeting each week. In return, for every day that these teens do not get pregnant, they are paid $1. $7 is deposited into a college fun each week that they attend the meeting, are not pregnant, and are still attending school. When … Continue reading →