I’M 15 AND GIRLFRIEND’S PREGNANT

Dear Coleen

Yesterday I found out that my girlfriend and I are, apparently, having a child. I’m totally not ready to have a baby – they smell and are disgusting. Kids are annoying and they take your money.

Right now I’m thinking about asking her if she’ll have an abortion. If she says no, then I’m out.

What should I do? I’m a 15-year-old boy.

Coleen says

Wow! Well, I’ll tell you what your letter has proved – when you think you’re grown up and know it all at 15, nothing could be further from the truth.

Your girlfriend hasn’t got pregnant by herself – did you wear a condom? No, I didn’t think so. How stupid are you to have unprotected sex if you didn’t want a baby?

OK, so now what to do about it. You’ve made a mistake, but it’s not good enough for you to turn around and say you’re out.

If she decides to keep the baby – and it’s her choice – then you don’t have to play an active part in the child’s life if you don’t want to.

But when you’ve left school and got a job, you ought to step up, contribute financially and take some responsibility.

I realise you’re probably scared and (I hope) the tone of your letter is mostly the result of panic. If nothing else, I hope you’ve learned that if you think you’re mature enough to have sex, then you should be mature enough to take responsibility for contraception.