Did you watch MTV's "Baby High" -- about a public high school that's especially for pregnant and parenting girls? What did you think? We talked to a group of teen mothers to get their reactions.
"When I became pregnant, I didn't have the opportunity to attend a school or program like this," said Amber, age 19, who got pregnant her junior year of high school and had a baby senior year. "Having something like this [school] would have would have helped me become a better parent and made it a lot easier" to finish high school. Brandie, age 19, who got pregnant at 15 and gave birth her junior year remembers it well, "I had many challenges going to a regular high school while I was pregnant and when I had my child. It was hard for me to concentrate because I had to worry about child care and sometimes didn't go to school for weeks because my daughter was sick and the school wouldn't excuse me. I had a hard time getting assignments in." Talina, age 22, who got pregnant at 17, agrees. "This would have helped me because I wouldn't want to look like an outcast at school. ... I would have signed up."
None of the teen moms we talked to think schools like TAPP encourage teen pregnancy. "I see how much hope it gives girls who are pregnant and parenting," said Brianda, now 20, who got pregnant as a sophomore and had her daughter at age 16 in 11th grade. "The principal, teachers, and counselors, were an amazing support to these girls. They push these girls to continue and to deal with all the struggles and the drama." Talina agrees, "The school encourages teen moms to do better for themselves and their child. ... The principal and teachers were great! Very supportive and exactly what the girls need."
What about the fact that there are no guys at the TAPP school? Brianda says it "has its ups and downs. I would say the ups would be that the girls are more able to concentrate in their classes and not worry about the drama they have with their child's father. The downs, however, are that it makes the father that much less involved in the pregnancy and development of their child. I know it's more common that the father is absent and wants nothing to do with their child, but there are fathers that are very supportive. These fathers should also have the support, encouragement, and parenting classes that they need."
"I would definitely recommend ["Baby High"] to other teen parents, teachers, and especially teens that are not pregnant or parenting so they have a better idea of the struggles," said Amber. Adds Brandie, "Hopefully if people in the education field watch this it will give them a push to have more schools and programs like this one." Brianda recommends "Baby High" to "teen moms who are still in high school so they can ask their school district about programs like this."
What kind of advice do these teen moms have for other teens? Brandie says, "My advice for other teens is to take things and life at the pace it's supposed to be." Amber's advice to other teens is to not have sex "because there is always a possibility of getting pregnant and changing their lives." Talina says, "Go to a clinic before you decide to have sex to avoid pregnancy because sex is a one-time thing but a baby is a lifetime commitment." Brianda says, "My advice for other teens whether a parent or not, is to take life and choices with responsibility. Always remember that every choice or move we make in life has a consequence. It's not fun having to deal with school AND family court at the same time. For teens who are parents or pregnant: DON'T GIVE UP...Having a child should never hold you back. Yes it will take a little longer but when you accomplish your goals, the accomplishment will taste much sweeter. For those who are not parents or pregnant: ENJOY YOUR TEEN YEARS! I wish I could have waited. You miss out on a lot when you have a child as a teenager."
Becky -- a tenth grader at the fictional East Dillon High -- just found out she's pregnant on last week's episode of "Friday Night Lights" and she's pretty upset. But despite how she's feeling, she's not alone -- more than 70,000 teen girls in Texas get pregnant every year, leading that state to the third highest teen birth rate in the U.S.
Like Becky, the vast majority of teen girls who get pregnant don't mean to. That's why it's important to have a plan to avoid pregnancy in the first place. Either don't have sex or use protection carefully and correctly every single time. Once there's a pregnancy, every road ahead is difficult one. Know what you're going to do in the heat of the moment, before the moment arrives.
Becky's situation is the latest teen pregnancy storyline on a popular television series. What do you think about teen pregnancy on TV? Tell us!
It's prom time at Degrassi, and Sav and Anya have big prom plans. Too bad Sav's family has another idea. Now, to save her special night, Anya may go too far.
Tune in and watch what happens. Watch the trailer for "Broken Promises" below. For more about the show, visit TeenNick.com's Degrassi page.
- Fact: Did you know that just under half of all high school-aged teens have had sex? Which means half have not, and some are lying about it.
- Fact: 6 in 10 teens who have had sex by age 18 say they wish they'd waited longer.
- Fact: Teen pregnancy is 100% preventable. What else can you say that about? Either don't have sex at all, or use protection every single time.
The second season of ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" is over and millions of fans tuned in to the season finale to find out what would happen with Amy, Ricky, Ben, Adrian, Grace, Jack, and the rest of the Grant High gang. The gossip was all over the place in the season finale after Adrian told Grace that she might be pregnant and Grace figured out that it must be Ben's baby. Grace, of course, couldn't keep the secret and told Jack, who then told Madison. How long until everybody else hears about it? And is she or isn't she? You'll have to wait until next season to find out. Did you miss the season finale? Watch the entire episode online at abcfamily.com and don't forget to check out our discussion guide.
Need to catch up? You can relive this season's best moments by watching every episode online and using our discussion guides to catch up. Click here for episodes and discussion guides.
While you're at it, check out this awesome Stay Teen PSA starring "Secret Life" star Francia Raisa.
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