I am a 15 year old high school student who is very proud to say that I still have my "V Card". For the past two years I have dealt with alot of pressure to have sex. When I think of sex , I think of teen pregnancy, STD's and being stereo-typed. According to statistics ,Nearly half (46%) of all 15-19 year olds in the U.S. have had sex at least once. This makes me feel the need to be a voice for my peers. I think its pitiful to see teenagers throw their lives away because they thought they were in love and that love turned into sex , sex then turned into another pregnant teen. I feel that the girls who are getting caught up with these boys are lacking some sort of love at home and fathers or father figures to give them knowledge to be aware. Girls feel like since no one loves them at home, they will go out and find love. As soon as she finds a boy and he tells her I love you and makes her feel special, she gives him everything. Everything meaning her virginity. An estimated 750,000 teens will become pregnant this year. What this says to me is that there are more and more teenagers forgetting about the importance of education. Knowledge is power. How possible is it for a teenager to raise and teach another being when they have not met their full potential? The answer is it's impossible. The majority of pregnant teens lack knowledge because sex was more important. What ever happened to achieving long term goals like going to college, preparing for success, and being all you can be? There are some qualities you need to help prevent teen pregnancy. You need high self-esteem and self worth because once a boy tells you he loves you, you will feel so good about yourself and love who you are, what he says will not matter. Confidence is the icing on the cake. You stand strong with your benefits and feel great about the decision to stay sex free!