“I asked the pharmacist for a test. I ran home locked myself in the bathroom and after a few long painful minutes in my young life, I turned my head and saw what I feared the most. I tested positive…”
Teen pregnancy affects the educational achievement of teens and that of their children.  According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, “Parenthood is the leading cause of school dropout among teen girls.” Did you know that statistically only four out of ten who have a child before they turn 18, attain a college degree?
Diana Zuckerman Ph.D. writes on her article, “When Little Girls Become Women” that by their ninth birthday girls are starting to show signs of puberty. How can this help teachers to understand and be aware of the fact that these maturing young girls will need to learn to cope with their own personal confusing hormonal feelings at a younger age than usual?
I will not discuss here the reasons to early puberty but the importance in supporting teens that do get pregnant to finish school and support their newborn in the process. Unfortunately some programs that help pregnant teen girls finish High School and prepare for parenting in schools are slowly disappearing and losing support. I would like to share the words of a teen parent who was in one of these programs and became a mother at 13 years old. In June 2011, she obtained her high school diploma. She is just now finishing her 2nd semester at San Jacinto College, and is hoping to be able to transfer to Rice University after receiving her Associate’s Degree. This is her story in her own words
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