THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610240041
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: LISTEN UP!
SOURCE: BY KAREN PERREAULT AND LAMONT FEREBEE, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: 56 lines
Dear Karen and Lamont: I just found out that I am pregnant, but the father of my child will not even speak to me anymore. What should I do?
Dear Reader: Unfortunately, it seems there are no perfect solutions to the problems you face. But you do not have to face them alone.
It is unclear whether you have already told your boyfriend you are pregnant. You undoubtedly feel very hurt right now - and probably scared and confused, too.
But regardless of whether he is supportive, it is up to you to find people who will be there for you.
There are many good people out there, lots of people who care. Hopefully, your parents, close friends and family members will be supportive as you come to terms with your situation.
You are responsible for a life besides your own. And this demands quite a lot as you enter a new dimension of decision-making and responsibility.
Be prepared to meet new friends. No one person has all the answers. You need adults in your life who are experienced in prenatal and child care, and who are perhaps wiser because of their education and experience.
In the Hampton Roads area, there are many professionals who offer guidance and support to teen-agers in crisis situations.
At this time, you need to depend on loving, caring people - everyone from family members, friends and understanding teachers to guidance counselors and other professionals who have helped teens in your situation understand the problems pregnant teen-agers face.
While the perspective of others deserves respect, it is very important for you to respect yourself as you think through your decisions in the months ahead.
Take time to be alone, to weigh your situation as you see it and to eventually make the decisions that are right for you.
You may find some of the following centers helpful. They provide services for pregnant teen-agers; some also provide counseling for teen fathers and teen mothers:
Teen Clinic, located in the Center for Women's Health on the campus of Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, 446-7900.
Real Alternatives to Pregnancy, a Norfolk pregnancy-prevention program, 531-2180.
Family Services of Tidewater, 622-7017.
Portsmouth Health Department, 393-8585.
Planned Parenthood: Virginia Beach, 473-8116; Norfolk, 624-9224; Chesapeake, 488-9269; Hampton, 826-2198.
We wish you the best of luck! MEMO: Karen Perreault is a senior at Maury High School and
Lamont-Deangelo Ferebee is a sophomore at Norfolk State University.
Their column appears biweekly in Teenology. You can ask questions by
calling INFOLINE at 640-5555 and entering category 8335, or write to
them at Listen Up!, 4565 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va.
23462. by CNB