Teen pregnancies occur in every community and are well understood in the realm of statistical analysis. The factors that can cause them and their implications in society have been studied for years. However, young women who unexpectedly become teen mothers can assure you: the statistics are so much more than numbers.

Carrying a child as a teenager is stressful on the body itself and is also incredibly taxing emotionally. In our society, teen pregnancy is looked down upon and criticized, making the experience all the more arduous.

Brielle Cecil, who gave birth to her daughter Claire at age 17 last year, experienced this societal chastisement firsthand during her pregnancy.

“I actually had a lady in Walmart look at me and say that me and my child were damned to hell because I was so young,” Cecil said. “Teen mothers are very much looked down upon…Everyone expects teen moms to be bad moms but not all of us are.”

Cecil has earned her GED, and plans to attend NIC.

Sophomore Shilah Cordero gave birth to her son at age 15, and took the route of open adoption. “I think that in the old days they didn’t really have open adoption, but nowadays it’s better because you can go and see your kid whenever you want, so I feel like that’s a better option for teens than to keep the kid, but that’s your choice,” Cordero said. Today, Cordero occasionally babysits her son.

Chelsea Davidson had her daughter Véra at age 17 and graduated early. She is holding off on college until Véra is older. “My unplanned pregnancy [was] a roller coaster of emotions! And a sling shot into being an adult with a lot bigger responsibilities,” Davidson said. “You can never prepare yourself to have a child so you have so many emotions running through you at first.”

Experts have directly correlated the declining rates of teen pregnancy with increased contraceptive technology and widespread availability, including the development of Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) and the emergency contraceptive. With impending threats of a limitation of access to these birth control options, the future of teen pregnancy rates are uncertain.