Pregnant teens make heads turn. They’re too young to be expecting. This generation lives fast and justifies reckless actions, such as pregnancy, with ridiculous mottos such as, “You only live once,” and “It happens.”

Couples that are still enrolled in high school should be worried about grades, or college, and definitely not about a baby and ways to support a family.

Getting pregnant won’t make a boy stay and it definitely won’t make him love a girl more if the feelings are just not there. Having a baby makes any relationship tougher. Life will be tougher too.

Many teen couples won’t abstain from sexual relations, but if they believe they are mature enough to do so, they should be responsible enough to at least use protection. There are many ways to prevent a teen pregnancy, and many do not require consulting a parent or adult.

Two years ago there were 14 pregnant seniors, 13 graduated. Last year there were 13 pregnant seniors and all graduated. Based on a class of 440 students, about three percent  were pregnant.

Nationally, in 2013, there were 29.4 births for every 1,000 female teens ages 15-19, or 305,420 births. The birth rate dropped six percent from 2012’s figure of  31.3 births per 1,000 females.

Compared to the national statistics, this school’s pregnancy rate accounts for 44.22 percent of those 29.4 births for every 1,000 female teens.

El Paso has a higher teen birthrate than Texas, but it is dropping, and continues to drop.

Statewide there are 65 pregnancies for every 1,000 teens. In El Paso there are 80 pregnancies for every 1,000 teens. More than twice the national rate.

Being “16 and Pregnant” or being a “Teen Mom” doesn’t look good period. It is difficult to find a teen mother who is not having a hard time coping with raising a child in her life.

Much of the responsibility of a baby will land on the grandparents. It’s time for expectant young couples to take responsibility for their actions. The pregnancy affects them as well as their families.