Season 2
- Episode
“Megan”
18
Megan got pregnant while her military dad was away in Afghanistan. Her mom is
helpful but her boyfriend, Nathan, doesn’t do much but play video games. Her sister,
also in the military, doesn’t think Nathan will stick around, and she’s worried about Meegan’s future. All Megan wants to do is finish school, find a job, and have a happy family.
y.
Is that too much to ask?
lake
Megan & B
Megan was looking forward to going away to school someday but now it looks lik
like
ike
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those dreams might not come true. Her sister says, “Before, you could have done
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anything. Now you are very, very limited. You think you can go to a regular college?”
Both Megan and her mom think she can do it—what do you think?
Most girls who have babies before age 18 don’t graduate from high school, and very few graduate from
college before age 30.
Nathan got teary-eyed when baby Blake was born, but other than that, he doesn’t seem to be emotionally
involved in anything related to Megan, the pregnancy, their relationship, or fatherhood. Do you think he is just
overwhelmed by all the changes going on? Do you think he cares about Megan and Blake and their new family? Do you think his behavior is typical of most guys his age?
Megan wants Nathan to change, but she also makes a lot of excuses for him at the same time. Do you
think they’ll make it together? What kind of father do you think Nathan will be to be Blake?
Children born to teen moms are much more likely to grow up apart from their fathers, and when there
is no father in the picture, children are more likely to grow up poor, have trouble in school, get involved
in criminal activity, and struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
For more on the importance of fathers, go to www.fatherhood.org.
Megan says she got pregnant because her birth control pills were “cancelled out” by antibiotics. Some medications, and even some herbal supplements, can interfere with birth control pills so it’s important to use
another kind of protection (like condoms) during that month as well. Talk to your doctor about any medicines
or supplements you take and what kind of effect they might have. Or, if the birth control pill isn’t working for
you—due to side effects or the hassle of having to take it every day—find another kind of contraception that’s
a better match. Not using contraception is not an option. There are lots of methods out there.
For a list of what works to prevent pregnancy: www.itsyoursexlife.com/iysl/what_works
For a list of what doesn’t work: www.itsyoursexlife.com/iysl/what_doesnt_work
For more info about choosing a method that’s right for you and for free support in using that method
properly, go to www.Bedsider.org.
Megan’s parents are pretty understanding and supportive—her mom does a lot to take care of baby Blake and
they are letting Megan and Nathan live with them rent-free. But do you think it was right for Megan’s mom to
allow Nathan to move in? Megan’s dad said he was disappointed and heartbroken when she emailed him with
the news about her pregnancy. What do you think it would have been like had he been home during that time
instead?
Lots of teens say they don’t use any sort of contraception because they’re afraid of their parents finding
out. Talking about sex and contraception can be difficult at first, but there are lots of ways to get the
conversation started. Check out these tips: www.itsyoursexlife.com/gyt/talking-to-your-parents
Would your parents be as generous about their time and money as Megan’s are if you got pregnant or
got someone pregnant? What are the expectations in your family about having children?
3 out of 10 girls in the U.S. get pregnant before age 20.
The number of pregnant and parenting teens is on the rise after 15 years of decline.
The vast majority of teens who get pregnant don’t do it on purpose—they just don’t think it will happen to
them.
The majority of girls who have babies before age 18 do not graduate from high school.
8 out of 10 fathers don’t marry the teen mother or their baby. Most of the couples don’t even stay together at
all.
Once there is a pregnancy, every road ahead is hard—whether the choice is to become a teen parent, make an
adoption plan, or have an abortion—all of those are really difficult. Preventing a pregnancy is easy.
It takes two people to get pregnant, but only one to prevent it. Be that one!
Have questions or need to know where to go? Check out these trusted sites and hotlines:
Think you might be pregnant or need to find a clinic? Call Planned Parenthood at 1-800-230-PLAN or visit
www.plannedparenthood.org.
Have questions about sex, pregnancy, dating, STIs, or anything else you can imagine? Go to Planned Parenthood’s Teens section at www.plannedparenthood.org/info-for-teens.
Do you need information on any sort of reproductive health care topic? Check out the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals’ website at www.arhp.org.
Questions about emergency contraception? Visit www.not-2-late.com.
Questions about sexual health, STIs, getting tested, etc.? Check out MTV’s www.itsyoursexlife.com.
Want more facts and tips on teen pregnancy and how to prevent it (waiting, contraception, talking with parents, talking with peers, etc.)? Check out www.StayTeen.org (for teens) and www.TheNationalCampaign.org.