Teen Births Are On the Rise, But Why?

It's a 'chicken or egg' question many have pondered for months. We've seen an increasing number of media depictions of pregnant teens as part of mainstream pop culture entertainment. And we're hearing more and more about rising teen pregnancy rates. So is media simply reflecting a widespread phenomenon already occurring in society, or is it fanning a dangerous fire and influencing teens to become pregnant?

The release of a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier today shows us that we can't blame the media for putting the cart before the horse. Data from 2006 (gleaned from birth certificates filed that year) indicate that teen births were on the rise well before the film Juno hit theatres in December 2007 or Jamie Lynn Spears showed the slightest indication of a baby bump.

So, was there something in the water in 2005 that reversed a 15-year trend of falling teenage birth rates in 2006? Always the scapegoat, media isn't necessarily responsible for this one. Yet shows like ABC Family's The Secret Life of an American Teenager are depicting even younger and younger teen mothers (such as the show's pregnant 15-year-old heroine who just married her boyfriend - NOT the baby daddy - two nights ago). So what gives? What's a parent to do?

I think about this a great deal as the mother of two teenage daughters, 17 and 15, and as someone who long ago experienced teen pregnancy secondhand.

In my sophomore year of high school, my best friend became pregnant at 15 and gave birth on her 16th birthday. Smart enough to realize she wasn't equipped to raise a baby, she gave it up for adoption.

Just yesterday, my older daughter -- a high school senior -- told me that the first boy who ever asked her out on a date (in sixth grade, no less) is now an expectant father; his girlfriend, also a senior at another school, is due in May. Both sets of parents seem very happy with the news, and the two plan to marry after the baby is born.

My younger daughter, who was initially a fan of The Secret Life of an American Teenager when it first aired last summer, isn't watching this second season. "It's too unrealistic," she says, shaking her head at the idea of a girl -- a high school sophomore just like her -- pregnant.

Looking at my older daughter, contemplating what it would be like to see her become a mother first and a high school graduate a month later, I can't help but think, "There but for the grace of God..." and realize that what was once unrealistic is rapidly becoming the new reality. Problem is, it's one I'm not willing to accept.

We owe our kids more than support once they go down an irreversible path. We owe it to them to help guide them in another direction before they take that first ill-conceived, life-changing step.

Related article: Teen Birth Rates on the Rise After Years of Decline