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Story Synopsis:

Eighteen years old and six months pregnant, Yolanda is determined to raise her baby, finish high school, and stay off welfare. And while this is no small feat, this north Philadelphia teenager is better equipped to face the challenges ahead than many young women in her situation. Her boyfriend, the baby's father, is there beside her during prenatal checkups and birthing classes and means to do the right thing; her mother, who was also a young, single mother, is excited about becoming a grandmother; and many of Yolanda's high school friends have children of their own. Still, the pressures on Yolanda are immense. She attends summer school to earn additional credits so she can have a lighter senior year once her baby is born, but the schedule is tough on her physically. "People think it's all fine and dandy being pregnant," Yolanda warns, rubbing her swollen feet, "but it's not, it's a job to be pregnant." As the ending of her story reveals, there's a lot Yolanda doesn't know yet about being a mom, including the stress it will place on her personal relationships.

Yolanda [Resources]

Did you know...?
courtesy Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting.

Nationally, more than half of teenagers are virgins until they are at least 17 years of age.i

A sexually active teenager who doesn't use contraception has a 90% chance of getting pregnant within one year.ii

Nationally, nearly one million young women under age 20 become pregnant each year.ii

That means close to 2800 teens get pregnant each day. ii Of the almost one million teens in the U.S. who become pregnant each year, 54% give birth, 32% choose abortion, and 14% miscarry.ii

One estimate suggests that among unmarried mothers younger than 17, only about 8% of infants are placed for adoption.iii

Teens account for 13% of all births in the country.ii

nearly 40% of young men who impregnate a minor teen (under age 18) are 20 years old or older.iv

25% of teen mothers have a second child within two years of their first. ii

One study of high school age mothers shows that involvement in school activities after the birth of the first child, or receipt of a high school diploma or GED, were strongly associated with postponing a second teen birth.v

Teen mothers are more likely to be poor later in life than women who first give birth after adolescence.ii

One study estimates that teen childbearing alone costs U.S. taxpayers nearly $7 billion annually for social services and lost tax revenues. vi

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teenwire
This is your private place on the Internet where you can get information and news about teen sexuality, sexual health, and relationships. http://www.teenwire.com/

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy homepage http://www.teenpregnancy.org

NCPTP's Parents Resource Guide http://www.teenpregnancy.org/parents.htm

NCPTP's Faith Community Resource Guide http://www.teenpregnancy.org/faithres.htm

NCPTP's Teen Resource Guide http://www.teenpregnancy.org/teenresource.htm