Adoption and Teen Pregnancy

For this week of 16 and Pregnant, we had the opportunity to witness a teen mom, Lori, go through the adoption process.  Lori was adopted, making her situation quite unique. In the episode, Lori struggles with the decision to either keep her baby or give the child up for an adoption. Part of Lori's difficulty in making a decision comes from the lack of support on her parent's end. However, Lori's desire for a biological family connection plays into her desire to keep her child, but on the other hand, her rocky and unstable relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Corey,  also forces her to consider adoption. It appears that the lack of support from her parents played the biggest role in her decision to give up her child. Lori was featured in an article in People magazine five months after giving up her son. In the article, Lori admits to "reluctantly agreeing to the adoption" and "being forced into this [the adoption]".  Lori eventually admits that her parents had "her best interest in mind" and she now realizes she "was living in a fantasy world".  The article also includes some commentary from Lori's parents.  Lori's mother admits she knew Lori wasn't ready for motherhood and that she and her husband were willing to serve  as grandparents and not actual parenting in the unborn child's life.  Lori's parents were quite financially stable (Her father's an anesthesiologist and her mother is a nurse.) yet less financially stable families have been shown on the show who were much more supportive of their teen daughters keeping their babies.  What do you think contributes to a a more financially stable family being against teen parenting versus a less financially stable family being supportive of teen parenting? 

A  second People article introduced Ashley Wilkens, a seventeen year old teen mom who, like Lori, chose to give her child up for an adoption. Ashley had zero support from her teen father, prompting her to really consider and go along with the adoption process. Unlike Lori's parents, Ashley's mother was quite supportive of her teen parenting her child and in fact, she was quite upset with Ashley's decision to give up her son. Her mother shared "It had a devastating effect on our family...I would have raised that baby". Her reaction and the reaction of Lori's parents  are strikingly different.  Why do you think some parents, like Ashley's, take the decision of their children to give up their children (In an attempt to give their children "better" lives) so deeply and personally?  Caitlyn and Tyler, parents who also chose adoption, faced some harsh reactions from their own parents in giving up their baby girl, Carly, as well. 
-Ashley Boyd

Why don't some of the "higher risk" females become teen moms?

Click and read me please C:

Mini Summary

The article linked in this post dives into a few pertinent issues related to our FAVORITE topic….TEEN PREGNANCY!  The writer examines the “cost” of teen pregnancy, being education in this case. According to the article, statistics indicate “only 40% of teen moms…finish high school” and only “23 percent earn a GED”.  Less teen moms attend institutions of high education. Due to less education, thus decreasing the chances of a teen mom obtaining jobs with good benefits and a reasonable income, teen moms will often pass their own hardships to their children. Thus some teen moms create a cycle of early pregnancy and poverty for future generations.  The article indicated daughters of teen moms are “three times’ more likely to become teen moms.

     This article did strike a personal chord with me. My mother became a teen mom when she gave birth to me at 16. She did drop out of high school, but she did get a GED [matching up with some of the statistics in this article]. However, she did go to college and obtained a four year degree. Unlike my mom, I did not become a teen mom. According to the article and statistically speaking, I was three times more likely to become a teen mom, but I didn't!

     Obviously many teen pregnancies are occurring for a number of factors including a lack of or an incorrect use of contraceptives. However, I would like to explore what factors may contribute to females who statistically are at a higher risk for becoming teen moms, avoiding that expectation or NOT becoming teen moms. What are your thoughts?  

Ashley B.