Ask the Child Psychologist

Teen Pregnancy

by Lisa Medoff

Dear Dr. Medoff,

I read that the teen pregnancy rate is rising again. My daughter is in her early teens. What can I do to prevent her from getting pregnant? From, Bereniece

Dear Bereniece,

It is true that some recent reports have indicated that the rates of teen pregnancy have been on the rise in the last few years. These findings remind us how important it is to provide teenagers, both males and females, with the information that they need to make responsible and healthy choices about their sexual behavior.

Teen pregnancy has been in the media quite often lately, with celebrities such as Jamie-Lynn Spears and Sarah Palin’s daughter in the spotlight. It may even look glamorous to some teens when they see the attention and support that these celebrity teen moms get. While it is important to let your child know that you will support and accept her no matter what happens, it is also important to present a realistic view of parenting, especially teen parenting. Your daughter should clearly understand that if she does have a child at her age, her life will not resemble that of a celebrity mom in any way.

You must keep the lines of communication open, even if it feels awkward to discuss issues related to sexual behavior. Because of their changing bodies, teens are incredibly curious about information related to sexuality, and they are going to get their answers from somewhere. You want to make sure that those answers come from a credible source (and that they know how to determine what a credible source is), whether that source is you, or a book that you selected for your child. Here are some ideas for talking with your child about teen pregnancy: