Hot Topic: Choose Responsibly
Every day in Georiga, 58 teen girls find out they're pregnant. Having a baby changes everything, and if you're a teen, the changes can have major long-term repercussions for mother, father and baby.
Did you know?
• Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school or get married, and are more likely to end up on welfare.
• Children of teen mothers are at a higher risk of being born at low birth weight, having problems in school, ending up in foster care, and either becoming incarcerated or becoming teen mothers themselves.
• The poverty rate for children born to teen mothers who have never married and have not graduated from high school is 78 percent.
But these statistics aren't often on the minds of teenagers as they make critical decisions about sexual activity. That's why parents and other responsible adults need to have open and honest conversations with children and teens about sex - answering questions and helping them understand the consequences of their actions so they're better able to make responsible choices.
Talking to kids about sex isn't easy for many of us, but there are resources to help you start the conversation. Check out www.talkingwithteens.com, the website of the PATHS Coalition. PATHS stands for Promoting Awareness of Teen Health and Sexuality, and is a collaboration of coastal Georgia agencies focused on teen pregnancy prevention.
On that website, you can view a DVD with straight talk from teens, parents and experts about sex. You can also check out some of the materials and photographs from our "Choose Responsibly" campaign, aimed at helping teens make healthy choices about sex.
But whatever you do, don't remain silent. If you're a teen, talk to your parents or a responsible adult about your questions or thoughts about sex. If you're a parent, talk to your kids openly and honestly about sex and healthy relationships. It may be the most important conversation you ever have.
WWW Address: http://www.gachd.org/hot-topic/choose_responsibly.php