Nearly 2,800 teens get pregnant each day (Soundvision). We can’t ignore these people around us any longer. These girls face many hardships in their lives. Many of their friends leave them, and most of the people at school make cruel jokes at their expense. One teen girl said “Ever since I got pregnant my friends seemed to just disappear.” Another said, “All my friends left me, except maybe three of them” (Baby-gaga). So why do we ostracize them? Pregnant teens need acceptance, not the discrimination we give them.

Just like everybody else, pregnant girls need friends. When we are stressed or worried, we all enjoy having a good friend to lean on. Can you imagine the stress of being pregnant? But can you also imagine going through that without any friends? Pregnant teens face much discrimination from other teens in school. Many people are very judgmental of them. But these pregnant teens are just like any one of us. They like to see the latest movies, shop for new fashions and discuss the hot boys in school. So why do we exclude them as though they are different than the rest of us?

Even though it’s important for you to be there for them, pregnant girls can be good friends too. We all like to have a good friend. Someone to joke with, spend your time with, and someone to comfort you when you’re down. Think back to a time when you were choosing your friends. How many times did you actually take a second glance at those “loser pregnant chicks” on the side lines? We put on our blinders as we walk through the halls, looking only for those who fit our criteria. But what exactly is our criteria? Many people want strong friends who can stick up for themselves. Have you ever thought about how much strength it requires for these teens to take the prejudice shown to them? After living under constant stigma and being rejected by their friends, these pregnant girls are the ones with real strength. They have what it takes to be a good friend. Sure they’ve made mistakes, but they, like all of us, have learned from them.

Maybe you’re thinking “Yeah, that’s great and all, but it will ruin my reputation to even talk to them!” Back up a little, and try thinking about it. Most of us, at one time or another, have had a best friend. You were willing to do almost anything for that friend regardless of what it did to your reputation. You were willing to stand up for them if someone was giving them a hard time. You knew that that person who you stood up to could easily ruin your reputation, but you did it anyway. So what makes these girls any different than that “best friend” of yours? Sure, you may not know them as well, but they could become that friend if you gave them a chance. And just like your other friends, many of these girls are well worth giving up some of your reputation for.

Pregnant teens are just like each one of us. They need friends, not prejudice and bullying. So how about next time you see a pregnant girl at your school, go up and say, “hi.” Ask them how their day has been, or see if they want to sit with you at lunch. It’s time to stop the way we are treating these girls. They are human beings, and they deserve to be treated that way.





Bibliography
Soundvision. Homepage. Web. May 10, 2011
<www.soundvision.com/Info/teens/stat.asp>
Baby-gaga. Web. May 15, 2011

<http://www.baby-gaga.com/about.php>