Every year around 750,000 teens will become pregnant. This fact is costing the United States $7 billion annually. Pregnancy is a horrible incident for teens to have to go through as it can make them feel deserted, or depressed, it also prevents teens to have fun with friends and family, and therefore making them miss out on a lot of usual teen experiences such as parties, prom, football games, and even many days of school. Getting pregnant at this young of an age can also affect your dreams and long-term goals, as well.
Being happy all of the time is what many teens aim for as they try to aviod drama, steer clear of girls who come off as know-it-alls and stay friends with everyone, if possible. Becoming pregnant would delay much of your happiness and cause you to become depressed and lonely. It would make you feel as if no one around you cared, since none of your friends have went through the same experience as you. It would also make you feel as if you're deserted since many of your peers are now too busy with homework and other friends to hang out with you and help babysit your child.
Instead of going out to a movie and to eat dinner with a friend, you have to spend your Friday night staying in making formula and making sure your child gets enough sleep, is this really what you would rather do? The majority of teens would much rather pick the movie than the baby which is why not becoming pregnant would be the best idea for all, and not even taking the chance of becoming pregnant for that matter. Studies show that more than half of the teens that have become pregnant in the past couple of years have lost many friends, and have been left alone to fend for themselves.
Many teens find themselves dreaming about where they'll end up in their future, including where they'll attend college, what career they will have, and who they will marry. For most teens, sharing your future dreams with others seems to be quite a fun past time. However, if you were to not be careful, and end up getting pregnant, many of your dreams and goals that you have been preparing for over the years could become crushed, and seem almost impossible to achieve. Instead of going to school to learn what is mandatory by the state, it is now your priority to stay at home with your new baby, therefore missing out on much of the studies that you need to be learning. In the longrun, this postpone of education could be a burden to you, and could hold you back from the dreams and goals that you had hoped to accomplish.
Every hour, 52 teenage girls become mothers, which also means every hour, 52 guys become fathers to children whose mothers are at risk for dropping out of school, domestic abuse, and poverty. Rates seem to be increasing more and more each year, do you want to be one of these pregnant teenage girls, or do you want to achieve your dreams on time, accomplish all of your goals, and set a great example for future young ladies? Make the right choice, you're only a teenager once. "Teens are getting the message that teen pregnancy is a one-way ticket, not just to a dream deferred, but to the ending of a dream." -Anonymous.