Where to Ask Questions About Teenage Pregnancy

A teenage pregnancy is a difficult thing for anybody to face, whether you are a teen starlet or someone stuck in poverty. Although the reasons for getting pregnant as a teen are as varied as teenagers themselves, the fact remains that many questions will arise after the test has come back with a plus sign. Get the answers for the challenging times that lie ahead. Approach your pregnancy with responsibility and gain the knowledge you need to make the most informed life choices from this moment on.

Instructions

1. Go to your parent, if available. Your mother is your best resource. If you do not have a parent that you can speak with, a guardian or foster parent should be consulted. Your life is going to change rapidly, and you need the immediate support of personal knowledge that can be gained from those in your life.

2. Ask the guidance counselor at your school to supply you with information about local help. She is trained in this situation and may have seen it happen before. Ask her any questions you have about the local area and how to find pregnancy relief in your area. She's the person to ask about local support groups and outreach programs that the school may have to help you continue to earn your high school diploma.

3. Talk to an older sister or family member. You'll be surprised at the wealth of information those that are only just out of their teenage years may know about the subject. Those who take the morning after pill, choose abortion or have a miscarriages are sometimes less willing to speak about it openly. With a bit of hinting in asking from you, you'll be surprised what you can learn from the first-hand experience of others.

4. Go to the Planned Parenthood website (see Resources). You can find a location near you where you can go to ask questions. You can also choose, instead, to ask any question about teenage pregnancy anonymously on the website. Your identity will not be revealed or asked for if you are only seeking knowledge. It's easy to ask if you don't have to face someone. This is often your best choice if you are lacking a support system that you feel comfortable using.

5. Go to a trusted interactive website. If you post messages frequently on a message board for a particular celebrity (and have gotten to know a lot of the folks there), post a message in the "alternate" board. Most message boards have a section for posts that go off-topic. Post there. Ask for information from others about the aspect of teenage pregnancy that you need to learn. Adults and peers will quickly come to offer help. Triple check information given for accuracy before you trust anything anybody says online. This is a great option if anonymity is of great importance.

6. Empower yourself with knowledge of prevention. Those who have been abused or have witnessed domestic violence are more likely to become teenage mothers. Be aware of the risks of pregnancy before you take chances. The only completely safe sex is abstinence, but there are a wealth of choices out there for a teenager to arm herself with. You deserve to treat yourself as the most important teenager in the world. Ask yourself what you would want your own future daughter to do to protect herself completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't ask your peers for questions about teenage pregnancy. Although they mean well and many may be armed with knowledge, this is the best way to get information that isn't factual. Stick to original sources.

Resources

• Planned Parenthood