It seems all the "oops" jokes in the world have already been made, so I'm going to play it straight: in case you are unaware, Britney Spears' younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, is pregnant. At sixteen. Oops, right? But teen pregnancy is a lot more than an oops joke, and, somehow, Los Angeles Times columnist Meghan Daum saw it coming, sort of... and she says the problem with teen pregnancy is that it just isn't embarrassing enough anymore. Let's be clear: she's not advocating trips to the abortion clinics or the shunning of pregnant teens, merely suggesting, "perhaps adults would do well to find a middle ground between shunning pregnant teenagers and becoming blase about them in the name of tolerance — or even in an attempt to seem hip. But we shouldn't allow teen pregnancy to become cool either." What do you think? And how do you, as a parent, strike the right tone about teen pregnancy?
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Could teen pregnancy be influenced by all the celebrity pregnancies of late? It is the thing to do now in that realm and they are certainly role models.
I think teenage pregnany is a complex issue and one that needs to be discussed and thought about from a variety of points of view. Many teen age moms are young women who are themselves the victim of poverty, abuse, chaotic homes, and failure to see a bright future for themselves. They often want a baby to have someone to love them not having a clue about how challenging it is to be totoally responsible for this tiny person. I also think that we need to separate the discussion of adolescent sexuality from birth control. Talking about responsible sexual behavior does not encourage youth to become more sexually active. Young women raised with the message of total abstinence often want to deny the fact of their own sexuality and they "give in" to the moment but refuse to plan for ongoing responsible sexual activity. There is more than enough material here for several TOTN shows!
I can't believe that we're having this conversation. Do we honestly believe that teenage pregnancy is an "oops joke?" That it's "hip?" That it's "cool?" The prospect of teenage pregnancy is terrifying, whether or not adults shun the unfortunate youths. Teenagers do realize that having to throw away all of their hopes and dreams while being plunged all too early into adulthood isn't a good place to be. (In a more direct response to the column, while I know this is a new debate, I think ineffective abstinence-only sex-education programs may be more the culprit here than a "lack of mortification.")
I will confess some experience here: during my freshman year of college, my girlfriend and I went through a month-long pregnancy scare. (Yes, we had been careful and used protection. And abortion wasn't an option for her; I know that's an entirely different can of worms.) Call me sheltered, but I don't know if I have ever been more frightened in my life, and there were several nights I simply couldn't sleep, thinking of my aspirations slipping away.
In conclusion, I have nothing but sympathy for the unfortunate Ms. Spears. She's too young, and probably scared out of her mind. She seems to be handling it well, and I hope that she makes it through this.
It is no surprise that teenage pregnancy is on the rise, given the "cult of the baby bump" that has pervaded Hollywood culture of late. Celebrity writers, photographers, and "regular-joe" celeb watchers (many of whom are undoubtedly teenagers) are obsessed with celebrity pregnancy. Pregnancy is considered hip now and what I term "prego chic" clothing - cut to enhance a swelling belly is available - cheap! - at any neighbourhood Target or Walmart store. These same celeb watchers spend little if any print on examining the hard work that is required AFTER the child is born, opting instead to trivialize it with "witty" poopy diaper jokes. The recent antics (to put it mildly) of Britney Spears, poster child for dysfunctional "babies having babies", should be viewed as a cautionary tale for any young woman who simply yearns to "glow" with pregnancy hormones. Is the far right behind this surge in the popularity of all things pregnancy? If not, they certainly are not lining up to oppose it. It suits the anti-abortion agenda - it's subtle, almost subliminal, and therefore bound to succeed.
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