You hear about teen pregnancy in movies, at school, even in after school specials. You know it’s not cool to have a baby when you’re still a kid yourself, so why are so many teens still getting pregnant every year? And what can you do about it?

Imagine what it must be like for a high school couple to find out that they’re pregnant: Joel and Theresa were sophomores and had been going out for two months now. One day they went to Theresa’s house after school. Her parents were at her younger brother’s soccer game and wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours. They plopped on the couch and started watching TV, cuddling and snacking on popcorn. After awhile they were making out, and things just happened from there. They hadn’t intended it to happen, not yet at least, but they had sex and couldn’t take it back.

Joel left feeling really confused, and Theresa worried about whether or not she should tell her Mom. Their relationship speeded up physically after that. They used condoms, but not always; sometimes they ran out. A month later, Theresa realized that she hadn’t had her period yet. She got really scared and bought a home pregnancy test. It was positive.

Theresa told her Mom – she couldn’t deal with this one alone. They were both upset and yelling at each other, and her Dad was furious. Theresa called Joel and told him that she was sure she was pregnant. Joel was freaked out and hung up on her. He avoided Theresa and refused to tell his parents.

Everyday teens find out that they’ve started something that has no easy answer. Some teens decide to get an abortion, others keep the baby and either put it up for adoption or become teen parents. So why is teen pregnancy such a big problem? Every option has really serious consequences. Abortions and adoptions can cause both mental and emotional turmoil. Additionally, teens’ bodies aren’t usually ready to handle a pregnancy. If they become parents, teens have to make some major changes in their lives.

Teen parents often have to quit school early, give up their freedom, and start working to support the baby. Teens don’t have the financial resources to handle a baby, so many end up on welfare or other charitable programs. The baby usually has fewer opportunities than other children do, and research shows that girls born to teen parents are more likely to get pregnant in their teen years, too.

So how are you making sure that you aren’t one of the statistics? Read on under “How to” to find out what you can do. Get informed!