There are a number of reasons why teen pregnancy in the United States seems to be on the rise again, and one of the assumed reasons is that if it is good enough for celebrities and those who have been thrust into the spotlight, it must be something to aspire too. However, when you approach anyone who has been a pregnant teen, particularly if they have come from a poor family or are, well, not Caucasian, there is a double standard: the reality hardly ever looks anything like the fantasy did.

The unfortunate reality, according to many who work with pregnant teens, is that while high profile teen pregnancies often come with the support from family members and friends, those who have already had a number of rough experiences - teens who have dropped out of school already, teens who are looking for a purpose who were never had guidance in creating a dream life and making a plan for themselves.

Without being able to see their future and without being able to see successes that come from education and determination, the challenge is that some teens - whether they recognize it or not - are looking for purpose and believe that if they are taking care of a child they will have a reason for being. For others, the challenge is that young women and, in some cases, girls, want to be able to turn around their experiences by being a better parent to someone else.

In those cases, the challenge is that teens are not fully seeing the consequences of their actions: they see the positives, but don’t think through the costs of having a child, the need for improved health care (for themselves) and the stresses of parenthood.

There are other reasons why teens become pregnant. Often it’s an uncertainty of how to ask their partner to use contraception or a lack of familiarity with pregnancy - buying into myths that they have heard that say they cannot get pregnant the first time that they have sex, for example - that leads to pregnancy. Unfortunately, it seems as though the fantasy wins out most of the time - and that’s something that needs to be addressed.