A force. An attraction. Power. Allure. Intrigue. Love? Passion. Indulgence. Love? The pulse. My heart. My body. His body. Love? The decision. The result. New life? Time lost. Imperfection. Recollection. False direction. Imperfection. Love?
“It’s definitely a shock,” Mitchell senior Ashley Lucero stated upon my curiosity as to how pregnancy has affected her thus far. “You get a little scared, you don’t know what to do. A lot of things run through your mind. Your future plans, college, and what you want to do.” She is frank and sincere in her manner of speech, showing that she has come to terms with her reality, that she accepts her mistake, she realizes what she is getting into. “But I have my parents. They are really supportive.” She laughs, “More supportive than I thought they would be.”
One of the most widespread social issues of our time is teen pregnancy. Of the fifty states, Colorado has the 29th highest pregnancy rate (compared to North Dakota with the highest.) Though teen pregnancy has decreased in recent years (by an approximate 36%) it still remains true that just fewer than 1 out of every 3 girls (15-19) are or will become pregnant within the next year. It is evident in Colorado Springs and even more so in the District 11 community that pregnancy is effecting numerous teens, as they become fathers and mothers. Here at Mitchell a special program has even been instated by the counseling staff in order to accommodate for pregnant girls at Mitchell, and offer them readily available help.
I am curious about one of her prior statements “More supportive than I thought they’d be,” describing her parents role in her pregnancy. I ask, “So your parents are supportive now, but how did they take the news initially? What did you think would happen?” She recalls the ordeal, how she readied herself, and how she told her Mother first. “I definitely thought I was going to get kicked out. But, my mom told me that we would get through this.” She says. I ask about her how her dad reacted, and she laughs a little, remembering the ordeal, “My dad took it a lot harder then my mom did. He kind of shut down. It took him a while to get used to.”
It’s easy to imagine that after becoming pregnant at such an early age, people may begin to perceive you differently. “I think they do,” Lucero says, “A lot of people just got really shocked. I mean because it’s me. But it doesn’t change the way I feel…you just can’t let it get to you.” She doesn’t feel that this child has in any way ruined her life. She still plans on attending college, and wants to stay in town and take night school so that her parents can help her raise her baby.
However, a good deal of teens find it difficult to deal with all the stress that comes with raising a child while taking on other responsibilities. Going to school to obtain a degree, while caring for a child and working to support it. At some point, you may find yourself staying up until 3 am to finish a paper, and still have to feed and change a crying baby from 4 am to 5 am, and wake up to an alarm clock at 6 am, for school, having still not completed your paper. You would begin to realize that when caring for a child you yourself can no longer afford the luxuries of being a child yourself, even if you’re not of legal age.
It is a sad reality, but nonetheless it rings true. Statistics even support the fact that in life it is harder to succeed when caring for children born to unwed teenage parents. Studies show that teen mothers have a much lower chance of graduating high school (only 10-12% as often as other girls) or attending college (14-29% as often as women who waited until age 30.)
Girls like Lucero who have support from parents and friends are about three times more likely to still be successful, and give birth to successful off spring. Lucero has a careful plan for the baby, and plans on naming it “Braden Michael” if it’s a boy or “Kylee Anne” if it happens to be a girl. She appears excited about her new life, “Now that it’s happened, I’m happy that it did happen. I have no regrets.”
In a rather cliché manner I ask her what she would say to young girls who plan on engaging in sexual activity. “Don’t do it!!” she laughs, and I do as well. “A lot of people don’t go to church,” she says referring to the Christian practice of abstinence but it’s still best to wait until you’re married so you can share it (sex) with the person you’re married with. That way you can have a plan.” I smile. “A plan can make all the difference.”