This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of StayTeen.org and Latina Bloggers Connect. However all opinions expressed are my own.
Did you know that May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month? The teen birthrate has declined 57% since peaking in 1991 but despite the historic declines, the U.S. still has the highest teen birth rate in the industrialized world. I became a mom while I was a teen and though I made my decision very consciously and accepted all the responsibilities that came with having a baby, it was not easy. When you become a parent at such a young age, you forfeit a lot and even though I would never change my past, it's not something I would encourage any girl to do. As parents, we are the most influential person in our kids lives (even though it may not seem like it), so it starts with us to talk to them about avoiding teen pregnancy. When I grew up I was not allowed to talk to my mom about sex or pregnancy, so it's not a subject that I found super easy to broach with my kids, which is the case with a lot of Latino parents. The National Day to Prevent Teen
Pregnancyprovides bilingual resourcesto assist parents in discussing love, sex and relationships with their
teens.
Over threefourths of all teens—and 84% of Latino
teens—feel it would be much easier to postpone sexual activity and avoid pregnancy if they were able to
have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents. Throughout the month of May, teens nationwide have been asked to visit StayTeen.org to participate in the National Day To Prevent Teen Pregnancy Quiz. This quiz challenges kids to think carefully about what they might do "in the moment". If you have a teen, take a moment to invite them to take the quiz or take it yourself to see how you would do.
If you have teens take some time to talk to then about teen pregnancy and why you don't want it for them. I always tell my girls, I love the grandkids, but I would have loved it if they had waited to be more mature and in a better place in life. We do the best we can as parents, and talking to them about sex and pregnancy is on the top of the list of must have conversations. If you're finding it hard to start the conversation visit the StayTeen parent portal for some help.
