Dylan, 18 of Massachusetts, was online, helping a friend find information on emergency contraception, when she came across a link to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy’s Web site.

“Being the child of a teen mom, I saw firsthand the struggles that come from raising a child before you are actually ready,” explains Dylan. “I wanted to get involved with the National Campaign so that I could make a difference in preventing other teenagers from having to face all of the avoidable obstacles that come with teen pregnancy.”

Courtesy of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy Dylan, 18

Dylan applied and was accepted as a member of the National Campaign’s Youth Leadership Team. She’s working with the National Campaign to promote the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy on May 5th. The campaign sponsors this day to focus teens’ attention on what they need to do to prevent teen pregnancy, from not having sex to knowing how to use birth control to prevent a pregnancy. I spoke with Dylan to learn more about why she got involved, why she thinks this issue is so important and what we can do to prevent teen pregnancy.

From Experience to Action

“Teen pregnancy prevention has always been something that is very important to me because my mom had me as a teenager,” Dylan says. “Having been raised by a teenage parent, I have always had a strong sense of respect for my mom and the obstacles she had to tackle in order to provide for me. Now as a teenager myself, I can’t imagine having to take care of myself as well as a baby.”

There are many teens that have been raised by teen parents, but Dylan decided to use her experience to raise awareness. Over the past year as a member of the Youth Leadership Team, she has been one of the National Campaign’s teen voices. She has been writing articles, shooting videos for public service announcements and even meeting with her school’s administration to create a better sexuality education program at her school. If that’s not enough, she’ll be meeting with a representative from Congress and members of Senator John Kerry’s office to discuss pregnancy prevention efforts in Massachusetts.

Education Leads to Responsible Decisions

Since 1990, the teen pregnancy rate had been steadily declining, but between 2005 and 2006, it began to increase. Even though the teenage pregnancy rate is on the rise, Dylan believes there are things we can do to bring the teen pregnancy rate down.

“Teenagers need to take responsibility for their own education, ask questions and talk to people that they trust to have accurate information. Becoming educated and making responsible decisions is the only way to decrease this rising statistic,” she says.

The inconsistent use of birth control by teens and their lack of education could be responsible for the rising pregnancy rates. When I ask Dylan about this, she says, “While abstinence is the only 100-percent effective way to not get pregnant, many teenagers lack knowledge on proper use of contraception. They either don’t know what types of contraception are right for them, or they are just using it incorrectly.”

Teens need accurate information about sexuality. Unfortunately, when schools do offer sex ed classes, they don’t always include a step-by-step instructional that tells you how to use a condom or other birth control to prevent pregnancy. We should all be demanding comprehensive sex ed in our schools, because we all need to know what our birth control options are and how to use them to prevent pregnancy.

No One Is Immune

“Being personally affected by the issue, I am able to keep it in perspective and understand that nobody is immune. It really can happen to anyone,” Dylan says. We can all think it will never happen to me, but no matter your orientation—heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual—you need to know how to prevent pregnancy. Did you know that, according to a recent study, lesbians and bisexual teens are up to seven times more likely to get pregnant than heterosexual people. An unplanned pregnancy can happen to just about anyone.

We hear about teen pregnancy all the time, but instead of just hearing or talking about it, we can take Dylan’s lead and do something about it. Explore Sexetc.org and get informed about sexuality. Check out StayTeen.org and take the National Quiz. This quiz gives scenario-based questions that make you think about what you would really do when making decisions about sex. Take the test to find out if you are putting yourself at risk for an unplanned pregnancy and get information to make sure you know what to do to prevent pregnancy. And don’t be afraid to use this day (and the quiz) to start conversations with trusted adults in your life about sexuality and pregnancy.