“Teen pregnancy is hard to explain. It's hard to figure out where and what went wrong because parent's and peers try and try to drill into their teens' heads that it can happen to you. Believe me, I know this first hand because I was one of those teens who sat back and said, “It Can't Happen To Me”, but guess what? It did happen to me! As I sit here and try to reach out to young teenagers, I hold my five-month-old daughter and hope that what I am writing about will make at least one person think about the consequences of sex. Now here's my story in hopes of making people realize it does happen. You Can Get Pregnant .

I was an average teenager who attended SLC School , and I thought I had it all. I was a good student with good grades, lots of friends and a boyfriend who made me so happy. My name is Kayla, and I had so many plans for my future! I was a senior in high school who was excited to be graduating, and I was looking forward to all the graduation parties at the end of the year. After all, it was our year to shine as the seniors in high school. We were finally the oldest in the school.

The school year started off great. I had a boyfriend who I was very much in love with, a job that I loved, and I was an excellent student and was planning on going to college. I had so many dreams for my future. I want to graduate from high school and go to college so I could make something of myself and be someone important someday. After all those dreams came true, I was hoping to get married, buy a nice house and start a family. And then, half way through the year, my life and my dreams were turned upside down. In January of 2006, I found out I was pregnant! I wasn't sure what to think, who to tell, or what to do. The only thing that went through my head was “No, I can't be pregnant

people like me with so much ahead of them”. I was so wrong because it did happen to me. I was really pregnant. Then the hard part came. I had to find a way to tell my boyfriend and my mother that I was pregnant, and I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. I was so unsure of what they would have to say to me; and more importantly, I didn't want my mom to be disappointed in me and ashamed because she raised me better than that. My mother had talked to me about sex and the consequences that went with it. She even put me on birth control when she found out that I was sexually active. She did everything she could, and the rest was up to me. The day came when I finally worked up enough strength to tell the two people I loved and who love me that I was pregnant. First, I told my boyfriend, Tyler . He was more shocked at first than anything. He was very supportive and told me I had to do whatever I thought was best. He wasn't going to make me do anything that I didn't want to do (he knew me and how I felt about things because we had been together for a year and a half at this point). It made me feel good to know he was going to be there no mater what. So that went good with telling him. Now, the real hard part came when I had to tell my mother, my very best friend. I was so scared, unsure of what she would say, think or do. I finally told, and well, I didn't expect the reaction that I got from her. I guess I should have seen it coming because I am her little girl, and I am the one who is supposed to go places in life, and then I throw at her that I think I am pregnant with no warning. After all of that, I felt like my world was falling apart. I was 17 years old, still in school and wanting to graduate, but then again, just wanting to drop out of school because I knew all the kids in school would find out. Sooner or later I would start to show that I was pregnant and wouldn't be able to hide it. God knows that teenagers are not the most sensitive people in the world, and I didn't know if I could handle people talking behind my back because of the fact that I was pregnant.

I did it though! I finished my senior year, and I earned my high school diploma! I was proud of myself because I had accomplished one of my goals in life even when I was six months pregnant! I graduated! The rest of my goals in life have been put on the back burner for just a little while so that I can have sometime with my beautiful daughter. I still intend to do the things I planned on doing before I got pregnant, but now I have to think of Layla first and support her. I have to work right now because kids are not cheap, and they have many, many needs. I can't lean on my mom and dad because she is mine, and I am her mother. I need to provide for her. I would not change a thing that has happened because I have become a stronger person from my experiences (people talking about me in school because I was pregnant, graduating, having a beautiful daughter and taking care of her). Layla is my life. I wish I could have done the things I had planned on doing, but I can still do them; it will just be a little more challenging now. I am strong, and I can do whatever it is that I put my mind to do. Best of all, I am the best mother I can be, and I am very proud to say that.

My message is to be safe, use condoms and any other form of birth control you can because it can happen, and it will eventually happen to you if you don't use your head. Most importantly, just remember if you think you are responsible enough to have sex then you better be responsible enough to deal with all the consequences that come along with it. Live your life! Be young and free, and don't grow up too fast. To all the young parents out there who take responsibility for their little ones, I have great respect for you. I know how hard it is and how easy it would be to walk away from the responsibilities of parenthood”.