Teenagers having sex often starts out as something exciting and forbidden - and they just don’t believe that one night in bed could change their lives forever. But all too often, the result of teens' secret sex lives is an unwanted and unexpected pregnancy. From a 14-year-old who got pregnant the first time she had sex, to a teen dad raising his infant son and hoping to finish his senior year in high school, Jay Schadler reports on the highs, lows and ultimate consequences of American children having children on the premiere of “Primetime: Family Secrets,” airing on TUESDAY, JUNE 23(10:00 – 11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
For the first time in 15 years, the teen birth rate is on the rise in the United States. Throughout the past year, ABC News has followed four families as they deal with the day-to-day realities of teen pregnancy. In Haverhill, Massachusetts, there are times of doubt and moments of joy, as Schadler spends time with a young couple, who are high school seniors and taking the less traveled path of trying to raise their six-month-old son together. In Louisville, Kentucky, 14-year-old Mahogany attends an unusual school designed for pregnant teens as she experiences both determination and self-doubt with her body changing every day. “Primetime” is with her as she gives birth to her son, and as he keeps her awake at night. In Yakima, Washington, an 18-year-old homecoming queen shocks the school her senior year by becoming pregnant with the school’s star quarterback. And in Texas, 14-year-old Paige cries out for her mother when the contractions intensify. Some of the teenagers Schadler meets have their parents’ support, while some feel completely alone, but all of them are ill-prepared for how quickly they have to grow up.
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Schadler also examines the two vastly different schools of thought about how to talk to kids about sex. He attends a Massachusetts comprehensive sex education class, which assumes that teens are going to have sex and that the best protection is to prepare them with condom demonstrations and frank talk.
In a Texas high school, they teach that “saving oneself” until marriage is the “cool” thing to do, and stress that premarital sex leads to broken hearts and sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the different approaches, teen pregnancy continues to rise all across the country, with American children having children at the highest rate among industrialized nations.
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3 comments:
I became pregnant at the age of 16 & it was extremely hard! Luckily I had the support of my mother. I feel sorry for teen parents who have NOBODY. As much as my mother talked to me about abstinence and safe sex...I still ended up pregnant. Now that my daughter is getting older, I have realized that no matter how much you try to guide your child down the "right" path--in the end they are going to do what they want to do.
This is just so scarey. My youngest, of 2, son just graduated from high school yesterday. I know how rampant teen sex is in his school, but had no idea it had gotten so bad in MIDDLE school. My boys & I have been very open and honest with each other since they were young and I am glad they are very respectful of women and careful (I hope) about sexual partners.
im 13 and i have been sexual active since i was 12 and their are some stuff i cant tell my mom but i told her and i can say that becoming pregant isnt a good thing i have talked to jesus about it and he forgive me about my mistakes and i know i wanna be ready with my husband and i wanna give myself to him and no other person so i really think if you are sexual active you need to tell someone so they can put you on birth control or talk to you because im pretty sure is hard to raise a kid and you need to look at it your mom probably had hard times raising you so you need to look on the negative side because being pregant isnt worth runing your life over i know some of you wanna go to college well being with a baby you can cancel that you probably cant even get through high school just wait thats all im saying wait for marriage so you can do whatever that is you want with your husband.
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