{"id":262679,"date":"2022-02-18T14:39:41","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T20:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=262679"},"modified":"2022-02-17T01:15:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T07:15:00","slug":"pro-life-pregnant-parenting-teenager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pro-life-pregnant-parenting-teenager\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Them Both: 7 pro-life ways to help a pregnant or parenting teenager"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Current American culture teaches teenagers that it’s okay \u2014 and even good \u2014 for them to have sex with whomever they want, but it’s not okay for them to become pregnant. It’s an impossible expectation that leaves about 500,000<\/a> American girls pregnant before the age of 20. Chances are very good there is a girl in your community who is facing (or will face) an unexpected pregnancy, and she may need your support.<\/p>\n

Before attempting to help a pregnant teen in your community, seek out your local pro-life pregnancy resource center. Speak to them about the services they provide and how you can help them. They may be in need of donations or volunteers. Understanding how they help pregnant women in difficult circumstances will help you to better assist the young, pregnant mothers in your community.<\/p>\n

Once you know the pro-life resources that are available for teenage mothers, tell others about them. You could hang flyers in churches, high schools, libraries, and other local spots with permission. You could donate money for the pregnancy center to take out ads in local papers or place information about the center in your church bulletin. Most teens are completely unaware of the help that is available to them if they become pregnant, other than what they have been told by Planned Parenthood. If they have been to Planned Parenthood for birth control, they are likely to return there for help with their pregnancy, which could quickly lead to an abortion. Knowing that there are other options is important.<\/p>\n

If a teenage mother has reached out to you for help, she may have the following needs \u2014 and will also need help after her baby is born.<\/p>\n

1. Help get her to doctor’s appointments.<\/strong> Girls pregnant before age 15 and those who do not seek prenatal care are at risk of premature birth, anemia, high blood pressure, and other health concerns. Prenatal care is vital for both a healthy mother and child.<\/p>\n

2. Help her with child care.<\/strong> You can help her to find an affordable and safe option, or offer to babysit when she needs help.<\/p>\n

3. Help her earn her diploma.<\/strong> Many teen mothers don’t have enough support in order to graduate from high school on time. Help her to stay on track by offering to babysit so she can study, or by tutoring her in subjects she may be struggling with.<\/p>\n

READ: Extraordinary high school proves teen pregnancy doesn\u2019t have to be a crisis<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n