Teen Pregnancy Did you know that 3 in 10 teen girls in the US will get pregnant at least once before age 20? That's about 745,000 teen pregnancies each year. Yikes. Teen pregnancy rates are a huge issue in the United States and needs to be put under control. There are many theories to why this has become such an issue with young teens but only a teen would truly know. The past few years teen pregnancy has not only been glamourized but it has also been a way for young girls to “make it big” on different television shows. Therefore young girls look at it as a “great opportunity.” Young ladies should be trying to get on television for great achievements such as high test scores or making the winning shot at the basketball game not because they are 16 and pregnant. Society has changed the way some teens look at life. A lot of teens don’t feel completely comfortable with talking to their parents/guardians about the precautions when being sexually active. They think their parent will not understand and will only assume and judge. “I’m young so it’s a little weird talking to my parents about sex,” says local teen mom, Brenda. Brenda says she plans on being very open with her daughter once she gets to the appropriate age. She also plans to inform her daughter about the risks of being sexually active without protection. It is proven that there will be higher chances of your child becoming a teen parent if you were one. A lot of the time it has to do with teens not having the ideal great relationship with their parents. I asked one of my friends who is also a teen mom if her parents ever talked to her about the precautions of having sex. She told me her parents weren’t even informed she was sexually active at the time. Trust and communication has a lot to do with it as well. But no teen wants to be embarrassed and when talking to their parents about topics such as sex, drugs, etc. things get to be embarrassing to some sensitive teens. Statistics show that when a parent and their child have an open relationship there are less chances of the child “rebelling.” A lot of the time the young teen thinks she is not only in love but also thinks that a baby will keep her and her boyfriend together forever but that’s not always the case. You may think having a baby will make your relationship even stronger, but the fact is 8 out of 10 fathers don't marry the mother of their child. Those numbers are crazy! I think a lot of it has to do with young teen boys’ maturity level. Only few young fathers will actually step up and truly take responsibility for their actions. Most teens go through that insecure phase at least once in their lifetime. Different teens have different ways of handling it. In some cases teens think that bringing a new life into the world will cure it all. A lot of teen girls feel alone, lost, and unloved. They want to give their baby something they never had. They want to be loved by that baby and when no one else is there to love them their baby will always be. They don’t understand the reality of it all though. Teens don’t realize all the hard work, dedication, and cost that come with being a teen parent. A pack of diapers costs $10+ compared to a pack of condoms for over half that price. There are doctor bills, formula, clothing, shelter, and tons more you will need for your child. Most teens barely can afford to support themselves. Every teen pregnancy costs about 9 billion dollars each year in the U.S. Working on a minimum wage will not support all those costs. To have a higher paying job means having a good education. Teen pregnancy affects education - only a third of teen mothers earn their high school diploma. And only 1.5% has a