It's Something In the Water

After seven LONG months of getting my internet from my blackberry, I FINALLY have internet at home so I can start blogging again.  Cause I know you've missed me.

For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you've probably seen my posts about all the pregnant girls at the school where I teach.  I am gobsmacked.  I can't believe the number.  We have 1 freshman, 5 sophomores, 1 junior and a senior pregnant (Not to mention two teachers).  I'm guessing it is wrong for me to believe that all 8 girls missed that day of Health class??

Two of these girls I have in class.  I guess I just invest in these kids and I have an idea of a standard that they should maintain and when stuff like this happens, I feel bad for the girl, but most of all I'm just disappointed.

Five sophomores!  FIVE.  That means that they'll be mothers before they can legally drive!!!  To expect teenagers to abstain from sex is just unrealistic.  They're going to do it if they want to or not, the least we can do is give them knowledge and tools to protect themselves from disease and unwanted pregnancy.  I know this would NEVER happen, but in my perfect world we'd have condom dispensers in the bathrooms just like the tampon dispensers in the ladies room.  These kids are too embarrassed to go to the store and buy condoms.  They're going to believe any old wives tale or urban myth about how NOT to get pregnant before they dare embarrass themselves (We're talking about teenagers here).

We also need to teach our girls that they have the right to demand that their boyfriends use protection.  No glove, no love should be their mantra.  I mean these 5 sophomores are going to be 30 with a 15 year old child!  We need to provide our kids with all the options out there:  adoption, abortion, etc. (even though a lot of people don't believe in abortion they still have a right to know about it).

With 8 girls pregnant our society is doing SOMETHING wrong.  Heads need to be pulled out of the sand and we must except that things are going to happen.  You can't scare kids out of having sex.  It's just not going to happen.

In the meantime, I'm going to be drinking bottled water until this "trend" has passed.

Happy to be back!