Teen pregnancy elicits strong responses from teens and adults. Disgust, anger, contempt, shame and disappointment are common reactions. To parents the news that their ‘baby’ has become pregnant or made someone else pregnant can be devastating. The new parents get labeled as irresponsible and careless. But it’s not that simple, and the tendency to alienate teen parents needs to stop.

In a country with two to ten times the teen pregnancy rate of similar developed countries, the growing population of teen parents cannot just be lumped together as a hollow statistic. It can affect almost anyone, anywhere. According to a 2007 report from the CDC, about 35% of high school students admit to being sexually active. This number may be appalling to more conservative people, but it’s a fact. It can’t be denied that teens engage in risky behavior.

Parents may ask, why? A variety of reasons: Our culture constantly pressures teenagers to grow up and act like adults faster. Growth hormones in our food cause earlier puberty. The rising cost of living requires many adolescents to get jobs to afford a first car, clothes or a night out at the movies. The media portrays teenagers in increasingly risqué situations. Myspace, Facebook and text messaging give teenagers a level of privacy and anonymity they’ve never had before this generation. With all these added pressures it’s not surprising that sexual activity would be heightened as well.

The true blame, however, may lie in the lack of adequate sex education in schools and at home. If teachers and parents are too afraid to teach adolescents about sex, its consequences and contraceptives, they should be prepared for even worse consequences in the future. ‘Abstinence only sex-ed’ is not enough, and clearly does not work. The sex education program across the nation needs a complete overhaul.

Parents need to take the responsibility of educating adolescents about sex before berating them for ‘irresponsible’ sexual activity. It’s better for a teenager to make an informed decision and be knowledgeable about safe-sex than to have no guidance and just figure it out for themself.