Teen Mom.

Birth Control.

 “I wish Magic Johnson would just die already…”

- Anonymous Gym Teacher

Out of context, my former High School gym teacher appears to be a bit mean.  But the point that he was making couldn’t be further from that.  In 1992 when Magic announced that he was HIV positive, it sent shockwaves throughout the country.  It led to a heightened awareness for safe sex and getting tested.  We all expected to watch Magic wither away and die but the complete opposite happened.  With his access to top-notch medicine, Magic is actually healthy.  So my teacher felt that Magic’s health was giving off the impression that it’s “okay” to have HIV and proper protection wasn’t necessary.  So yes the quote was harsh, but he made a lot of sense.

Similarly, I feel like the worst thing that a teenage girl can see is a successful young mother.  I work closely with high school girls in Philadelphia and too many of them ended up getting pregnant before the age of 18.  I believe that these teenage girls see too many young women being single moms and they view it as “okay” and they can be just as successful if they end up getting pregnant.  This leads to a mentality that justifies not using birth control and choosing to have a baby even when it isn’t in the best interests of anyone involved.

“… you can drive a car with your feet if you want to, that don’t make it a good f***ing idea.”

- Chris Rock

Now I’m not saying that you can’t reach your goals if you are a young mother, but lets not confuse the exception with the rule.  Getting pregnant at 16 or 17 is not a good idea and more than likely, you and your child will struggle and perpetuate a cycle of poverty and broken homes. It saddens me to see that another promising girl won’t reach her potential because she has to choose between a degree and motherhood.  Not to mention the fun of simply being a single woman in her 20’s just enjoying life carefree.

An adjustment needs to be made.  We need to show our young girls that it isn’t “okay” to get pregnant before they are mature enough to take care of themselves.  They need to clearly see all of the obstacles and challenges that they will face and understand the difference between success and survival.  They need to fear getting pregnant and realize that they should make better decisions and practice safe sex.  For girls who do get pregnant, sure, they will need women who have been in their shoes to help them.  But for girls who still need some advice…

Look at Brenda.