Sue Scheff: Why Teens Have Sex

by Sue Scheff on May 28, 2010


Whether you have had an opportunity to watch 16 and Pregnant or Teen Moms, there is one common thread that weaves through these shows:  Teenage girls seem to believe having a baby will keep their boyfriend or having a baby will give them someone to love them unconditionally.

Every day, more than 2,000 teen girls in the United States get pregnant. In fact, 3 in 10 girls will become pregnant by age 20. Not having sex is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy, though there are a lot of other good reasons to wait, too. But if you’re having sex, you must use birth control carefully and correctly every single time you do.- Stay Teen

Teens and sex is a growing subject that has more resources and information than ever before.  Educating parents, teachers and teenagers is a commitment everyone needs to have.  Stay Teen is one of several valuable websites that offers a vast amount of information about having sex and/or considering having sex.

One common question is, “why’d you do it?“  Here are some of answers from Stay Teen:

  • I’m curious – I want to experiment/ get experience.
  • I just want to get this first time out of the way.
  • Sex is no big deal. Everyone is doing it.
  • Every one of my friends has had sex – I’m the only hold out. I feel like a wierdo.
  • The popular kids in my school are the ones who have sex – I want to fit in with them.
  • My partner really wants me to do it – he/ she says that it’ll bring us closer together/ prove my love/ show my commitment.
  • There’s nothing to do in this town but have sex.
  • I won’t really know how compatible we are until we’ve had sex.
  • My parents are so controlling and strict – they’d freak out if they knew I was having sex.
  • We’ve already had sex once – I can’t very well say no now.
  • It’s just a “friends-with-benefits” thing – what’s the big deal?

Think you might not be ready yet? Check out the Waiting page for more.  Visit www.stayteen.org for more educational information.

In South Florida, Planned Parenthood can help you educate your teens on sex and if they are considering have it.  Teen Talk is targeted at discussing sex education and protection with your teens.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.

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Sue Scheff: Teen Moms Can Text For Help with Babies

by Sue Scheff on May 12, 2010


Text4baby has several partners and their media partner is MTV.  Perfect match. Why?  16 and Pregnant, Teen Moms and Dr. Drew.  Although most know that getting pregnant in your teens is not easy, these shows explore the reality of the hardships as Dr. Drew explains the emotional sides of why this is happening.

Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. – www.text4baby.org

How does Text4baby work?

Registration is easy and can be done online here or from your cell phone. Simply text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. You’ll be asked to enter your baby’s due date or your baby’s birthday and your zip code.

Once you are registered you will start receiving free messages with tips for your pregnancy and caring for your baby. These messages are timed to your due date or your baby’s birth date. If your due date changes, you can text UPDATE to 511411 and enter your new due date.

Although this is a great service and actually speaks a language teens understand, it is not a free pass to have a baby when you are not emotionally or financially ready.  If you have watched these shows, you will see many of these teen moms, as much as they love their children, agree this can change your life in many ways.

Your teen years are no longer your own, your life is not about you and going out with your friends.  Usually your friends have moved on and going to college.  Although many teen moms can and will complete their High School or get a GED, many will conclude that is not easy.

Follow Text2Baby on Twitter!

Read more and watch video on how Text4Baby works.

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Filed in Cell Phone Safety, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Parents Universal Resource Experts, Sue Scheff, Teen Dating, Teen Health, Teen Moms, Teen Pregnancy with Comments Off