Even before you are faced with a situation such as teen pregnancy, provide your child with the proper guidance and support he/she needs to steer away from such a dilemma. As they say, the best offense can be a good defense. Showing positive affirmation for the correct behavior can further encourage it. Do not be afraid if your teenager has questions about sex or contraception. Knowledge is power. Rest assured that it is always a good sign if your troubled teen is coming to you for information rather than other unsure sources. Answering his/her questions is not equivalent to promoting sexual activity. You are providing your child with the tools he or she needs to survive adolescence and its stages of sexual awakening. Refer to How to help your child avoid teen pregnancy for more information. Definitely take some time for your self to internalize the news. It may not be advisable to face your teenager as soon as she tells you what’s going on. Take your time, so that when you approach her you can provide her with the guidance that she so desperately needs at a time like this. What can you do for your teen at a time like this? Be there to listen. Hold her hand, give her a hug. Remind her that you love her and that you will go through her options together. Aggravating an already messy situation will only bring more negativity towards the both of you. What you want to do now when faced with the situation, is foster a positive aura in both yourself and your troubled teenager. Refer to Showing support for your pregnant teen for more information. The United States actually holds the top teen pregnancy rate in the developed world. - Each year about a million teenagers in America are pregnant.
- 9% of these girls are mothers before they reach 18 years old
- An additional 9% of these girls have an abortion before they reach 18
- 55% of the abortions in the U.S. are obtained by women under 25 years old
- 22% of them are teenage girls
- 1 in every 4 pregnancies results in an abortion, while 20% of all abortions are by girls under 19 years old.
- About 300,000 American teenage girls have an abortion every year.
For more statistics on teen pregnancy and to find out which states require parental consent/notification in order for a teen to obtain an abortion and which don’t refer to Teen Pregnancy statistics in America.
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