We’ve all heard about this by now, right?

17 girls in a high school in Massachusetts joined a “pregnancy pact” so they all can raise their children together.

There are rumors that a couple of the girls were already pregnant when the pact was made, and they all decided that best way to support each other is to all be pregnant together, so they all know what each other is going through.

One of the fathers is reported to be a 24-year-old homeless man.

It’s unfortunate that these girls felt their best way out of their situation is to have others be in their same situation. Did they really not feel they had any other options? Did the school not provide them with any education into safe sex practices?

Do schools need to institute parenting classes at an early age so students know the trouble it takes to raise a baby when they are only 15?

What do you all think about this?

A new show premiered tonight on ABC Family called “The Secret Life of an American Teenager“. It will be shown every Tuesday at 8pm EST.

The basic premise is that there is a cute young girl who has pre-marital sex and gets pregnant. Also, basically everyone on the show is a Christian and Jesus-followers who aren’t going to have sex until they get married. So the fact that Amy is pregnant is a big scandal.

It’s interesting to me - who grew up in a Catholic household but never really followed the Faith - how the biggest confession that Amy gave to her friends was that she had sex. To me, it would be that she was pregnant. But that’s just me. Again, I was never a big believer in waiting until marriage and all that.

The show seems like it will touch on a lot of sensitive topics that are affecting teens today; mostly teen sex. I hope that they start preaching about safe sex and condoms rather than just preaching abstinence.

Teen are going to have sex no matter what, so they might as well be prepared with all the knowledge available to make sure that they are safe and healthy.

If this show doesn’t do a good job with giving information on prophylactics or where to get them, ask around. Or go to your local Planned Parenthood. They offer great advice, services and  condoms

From a closely related blog, the Teen Abortion Issues blog, I found this post yesterday about a girl who got an abortion last year. It seems she is really upset about it, and still thinks about it constantly. Here is an excerpt:

“I was dating an amazing guy. I was his first, and he was my first. We had it in our minds that we would be together forever, but that all changed when I found out I was pregnant. I wanted to keep the baby, but he made me choose. He said, and I quote, It is either me, or THAT! I wanted to be with him SO bad that I made my appointment at the clinic for two weeks from that day.

“I wake up at night, and I think I hear a baby crying, but then I realize that it is only in my head, and I lie back down and cry myself back to sleep. Girls and Guys, abortion IS permanent. It IS a horrible thing to have to go through, and it IS NOT the only way out.”

It sounds like she is having a rough go of it. I don’t know anything about this girl - how old she is, where she lives, what her family support structure is like, etc. - but she seems like she is a loving person.

It’s true what she said; abortion is permanent, and it’s true that it is not the only way out. There are many options for teen girls who find themselves to be pregnant unexpectedly. If abortion isn’t the option for you, there are thousands of couples out there who want to adopt children. And if you have a strong support system behind you and are self-sufficient and want to do it, you can always keep the baby.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think abortions are a definite and viable option for any woman - no matter her age - who doesn’t want to have the child with which she is pregnant. It would be a crime if they were made illegal again, and thousands of women every year would die or be rendered infertile after giving themselves the clothes hanger treatment.

My opinions of this girls situation differ, but there is no way i am chastising her for her feelings. It is a tough to go through this, and she may need to find another outlet to share her feelings if she is this upset. There is support out there for you if you need it.