What a girl needs to know about teen pregnancy is that it does happen and if it happens to you, your life will change dramatically. Suddenly you will be required to make some of the most difficult decisions of your life and you will be responsible for another person's life (your baby's!). Sound full-on??? Well it is and certainly not a subject to be treated lightly. There is no "easy-fix" and no matter what choice you make about having the baby, it is serious and will impact your life significantly.

RISK FACTORS FOR TEEN PREGNANCY:

• Responding to emotions and physical feelings when you are with a guy rather than thinking things through.
• Limited knowledge and lack of information about sex and associated consequences.
• Allowing yourself to be pressured into a situation.
• Thought patterns such as: “It won’t happen to me” and “I’ll be OK just this once.”
• Drinking alcohol and taking drugs.

FACTS:

• Half of adolescent pregnancies occur during the first six months of being sexually active.
• Teenage mothers are more likely to be single, smokers and socio-economically disadvantaged.
• Some teenage pregnancies occur as a result of inadequate understanding of the reproductive cycle.
• 90% of teenage mothers are unmarried at the time of birth and 60% have no male partner at that time.
• It is common for teenage mothers not to complete school and this lack of education can result in long-term unemployment or poorly paying job options.
• Teenage mothers have a higher risk of postnatal depression than other women.

If you think your could be pregnant, you need to visit a doctor to find out. The earlier you know, the better.

OPTIONS:

There is ongoing and sensitive debate about abortion versus keeping the baby. Never believe that abortion is the easy solution. Before deciding either way, you need to investigate the facts carefully and decide how you feel about the issues involved. Pro-Life activists argue that life begins at conception and that unborn babies should be protected as they are innocent and defenceless victims. (The heart-beat, brain activity and the formation of limbs are detected very early on in the pregnancy.) Pro-Choice, on the other hand, suggests that you have the right to choose what happens to your body.

ABORTION:

A number of girls WAGN interviewed reported having felt a huge sense of guilt for taking the life of their unborn child after an abortion. Some of the girls WAGN caught up with about this sensitive issue agreed that after having subsequent children, they now feel that having an abortion was a huge mistake and a choice they find difficult to live with. Some of these girls admitted that they were pressured to have an abortion by partners and or parents. The feedback about this was: "NEVER, NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU TO ABORT!!!! YOU MUST MAKE THIS DECISION ON YOUR OWN AS YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES." Furthermore, there are health risks associated with abortion that should be considered carefully.

KEEPING THE BABY:

Keeping the baby will interrupt your life completely. There is no doubt that your world will be turned completely upside down and you can say goodbye to regular teen years! On the positive side, you have a child to care for and this child loves you unconditionally. There is no greater bond than that between mother and child. These days there is less stigma attached to single mothers or teen mothers and in general, people tend to be a little more forgiving than in past generations. With government financial support, a great health system in place and flexible learning options available, keeping the baby is a realistic option for most people in Australia.

ADOPTION:

Aside from abortion or keeping the baby, you also have the choice to adopt. If you feel that you are not in a position to keep the baby, yet you don't believe in abortion, adoption could be an option. Again, you need to research carefully but the positives are that you can give your child the greatest gift…..his/her LIFE! Yes, it will be painful to give your baby over but you are giving your child to parents who will love and care for him/her. You will have the memories of little feet and hands and the knowledge that you have given your child a great start.

DIFFICULTIES FACED BY PREGNANT TEENS:

1. Telling your parents – This can be one of the biggest challenges for many girls. Once you have faced up to informing your parents, and everyone has had some time to digest the situation, you can move toward planning and working out your options.
2. School – Schooling will no doubt be interrupted. However, there are always choices including TAFE college, correspondence, part-time, etc. There are even high schools who cater especially for pregnant teenage girls. You need to seek out a school guidance counsellor for further information.
3. Finances – Raising a child incurs expenses that your will need to consider. The government provides assistance for low income families as well as the general family allowance to help with the associated costs. You should contact Centrelink to find out what assistance you would be eligible for and plan your budget accordingly.
4. The Father – You will need to work out whether HE is going to be a part of your life and/or the baby’s life. Your baby needs your strength and your love now and there’s no time for games, chasing after boys who aren’t worth it or parents who can’t get along. If you’ve got a good guy who wants to stick around for the right reasons, great! If he’s a player and has got you on a string…it’s time to let go!
5. Friends – Your friendship circles are likely to change because your life and the things important to you have changed. True friends will remain and you will make new friends in more similar situations.

ADVICE TO THE PREGNANT TEEN:

• It’s really important that your give your baby the best chance of being healthy by being healthy yourself. You will need a well-balanced diet and do some light exercise. If you smoke…GIVE-UP! Choose a multi-vitamin especially designed to provide you and your baby the correct nutrients throughout pregnancy. Have regular check-ups with a doctor.
• Make sure you set yourself up with a good support network. Parents, siblings, grandparents and trusted friends are all great to help out with support. In addition, find a doctor who you feel comfortable with. Find out where your local clinic is to get the baby weighed regularly and keep the telephone number handy for when you have questions about the baby.
• Kids Helpline (1800551800) and Lifeline (131114) can be very helpful when you need advice at any stage.

So, what can you do to prevent becoming a pregnant teen and having to worry about all of this???

1. Remain celibate. Sex is your choice. You don’t need to have sex with every guy you date. You can choose to wait for marriage or a serious relationship.
2. Get informed about your reproductive cycle and understand how your body works.
3. If you are sexually active, use protection!!!! Visit you local doctor and discuss your options. Remember that the pill will prevent pregnancy but you still have the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease so make sure you address this issue as well!
4. Never have sex for the first time based on your emotional state in the moment of passion! Make your choices before it gets to that point. Be prepared to say, “NO”, or you are prepared to be protected! Feeling good for a night isn’t worth the possible consequences!!!!

Read our interview with Sarah Matthews, who has first hand experience on what it's like to go through a teen pregnancy!