Every year in Canada and the United States, thousands of young women between 10 and 19 become pregnant. Although some teen pregnancies are planned, many are unplanned and therefore mean that difficult decisions must be made.

A high percentage of young women who don't use birth control get pregnant the first month they are sexually active. Some young women don't use birth control because they want to become pregnant. But, many are not trying to become pregnant. Maybe they don't have accurate information to help them choose a good method of birth control, or how to use it properly. Or maybe they don't know where to get it. Others might be afraid or embarrassed to go to their doctor or a clinic, or to buy it in a drug store, especially if they think that they will get a lecture about being sexually active.

Some might not admit to themselves that they are likely to have sexual intercourse and do not prepare for it, or they think, "It can't happen to me." Some feel that planning for sex takes away the romance. Some think that you can't pregnant at certain times of the month, or the first time you have sexual intercourse. Or, they might think the guy will take care of everything.
They may not realize that there are safe and effective methods of birth control. Many methods are actually safer than pregnancy for young women. The chance of problems during pregnancy, such as toxemia and anemia, are higher for a young woman because she hasn't yet completed her own growth period. It takes twenty years to grow!

For many young women, the biggest result of early childbearing may be cutting short their education. Pregnancy is the number one reason that young women drop out of school; it is often difficult to continue or go back. Although most teenage mothers do not marry, those who do face a high chance of divorce within 5 years, often after having a second or third child.
Like women of any age, teenage women who have strong supports around them tend to face fewer problems during and after pregnancy. National studies have shown that teen mothers and their children do much better when they receive economic and emotional support from parents and other relatives. They tend to get better medical care, are more likely to finish school and find work, and are less likely to rely on welfare.

These issues are very complex. There are no easy answers, but there are some ways to help get answers:
? Get information and encourage education about sexuality and birth control at home and in school.
? Teens and parents can try to talk to each other more often about sex.
? Young people need accurate, clear information about all birth control methods, sexually transmitted diseases, the Morning After Pill, and the three choices a woman has if she finds out she's pregnant: keeping the baby, giving the baby up for adoption and having an abortion.