May is what? ...

05.01.2013

May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. I found this gem out while scrolling through my Facebook feed. Maybe I am just naive, but shouldn't teen pregnancy prevention be addressed every month? When did teen pregnancy become the norm? Does it have anything to do with MTV's '16 and Pregnant' or 'Teen Mom'/'Teen Mom 2'? I never want to be the person that blames media for actions taken by an individual, but it does seem as though MTV is glorifying teen pregnancy.

How many teen moms do you know that:

1. Drives a new car weekly, monthly, yearly?
2. Can afford to go out every weekend?
3. Has the ability to go out every weekend without their child?
4. Is able to buy brand new clothes on the regular?
5. Can afford to live on their own?

None? Yeah me either. This is why I feel MTV glorifies teen pregnancy. Yes, they are paid for the cameras to follow their lives. I do agree they should be paid, but the money should have went into trusts to ensure their futures.

Okay moving on from MTV ...

I do not have any children, but I have nieces and nephews. My "sister" recently told me that as soon as A starts her period she will put her on the pill. I was floored. I do not believe that is the answer at all. One reason - You are only preventing pregnancy (if it is used correctly). What about STDs? Isn't education a better option? For me it is.  I respect my "sister", her thoughts and views, but I do not agree with her on this subject.

I hope that my relationship with my nieces (and nephews) remains open, so they will feel comfortable coming to me to talk about things like sex or anything else. I don't feel it will ever be my place to give them advice or knowledge that their parents would not want them to have, but I do want them to feel they can come to me and have a conversation without judgement.

My hope for A and M is to have a "normal" childhood and adolescence. I want to see both graduate high school, go off to college, find the love of their lives, marry then have children. Or live in a committed life of sin. I never want them to call me and say "Aunt Brandi, I am pregnant." before they are mature enough to handle the responsibility.

My niece M has a greater chance of teen pregnancy as she is a result of teen pregnancy. I just hope the struggles her mother (and father) endured have shown her how difficult being a teen mom really is.

I just hope in their teens they realize how cool it really is to be a VIRGIN.