At 16, I wasn’t pregnant, but I felt like a misunderstood girl. Tuition classes were abundant, parents were asking me not to talk back because they ‘knew better’, and the length of pinafores to be worn at school had to be below the knees – which totally did not flatter my already pudgy figure. To my 16-year-old mind, life couldn’t be any harder.

But I was a good girl. I grew up in a bubble, and words like ‘sex’, ‘pregnancy’, ‘abortion’ and ‘contraception’ had never crossed my mind back then. Sure, we learned a thing or two in Biology class, but I had more ‘pertinent’ concerns – like the bulbous pimple on my nose.

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit in on a dialogue that discussed relevant issues on teenage pregnancy in conjunction with MTV’s new reality show, 16 and Pregnant. Two reasons why I agreed to cover the event – 1. They told me Denise Keller was the moderator (yay!), 2. I don’t have cable and wanted to go for the screening.

Denise giving an introduction on 16 and Pregnant.

We had a panel of professionals present;  Dr. Sundardas, Vice-President of Singapore Planned Parenthood Association, Dr Ann Tan, Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and President of Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations, Ms Nadia,  Head Counsellor at 4PM, Dr. Martha Lee,  a sexologist (woo!) and a life coach, Denise Keller as Youth Task Ambassador, and Wi Nie (me), the blogger. (silence)

Okay, fine, I wasn’t part of the panel, but I sat with them at the table, so that ought to count for something.

The panel present for the discussion.

As ignorant as some of us may choose to be, teenage pregnancy is a serious issue, and with this documentary, MTV is playing its part in showing teens the reality of what being pregnant at such a young age is like so they can be empowered with the relevant knowledge.

This is where my thoughts come in, ‘Teenagers can never think for themselves. They think that they’re thinking for themselves, but at the end of the day, they’re just rebellious, and rarely far-sighted.’ And I’m not even being judgmental.

Looking back, I was indignant about some of the choices I made in life because I really thought I knew better. Then again, this is how most teenagers behave, it comes with the hormones. So take my 23-year-old thoughts with a pinch of ‘meh’, cause I admit there are some teens who can be far more mature than their peers.

(L to R): Dr. Martha, Dr. Sundardas and Miss Nadia.

So, we were at The Screening Room last Thursday, and I must say, some of the conversations that were going on were pretty interesting. For instance, Dr. Martha mentioned that in Singapore, despite the efforts to provide a sound sex education, teens are not taught the positive aspects of sex, which is not to say that any adult would condone teenagers having sex, but merely to be honest and truly open about the issue.

And so I thought, why not?

We lay out the cards, and ask them (teens) to think about what sex is, why they want to do it, truths about contraception, and the consequences of their actions. Could it be that their teen minds know that we are not being honest, and so they’ve decided to explore on their own?

And assuming we’re too late, and the girl gets pregnant, what are the subsequent ways to deal with this matter that can involve family support?

Maci with her friends.

Fortunately for Maci, the girl in our first episode of 16 and Pregnant, she received a great deal of support from her friends and family, and even her boyfriend’s family, when she decided to have her baby. The going was good until the baby was born, and by then her boyfriend was hardly around to help care for the infant. Maci was juggling with her studies and work in order to support their baby.

The funny bit with the boyfriend was that he showed his ‘support’ by having the baby’s name tattooed to his body.

Maci's boyfriend tattoed 'Bentley' on his body.

Having the baby meant that nobody really got hurt, but what if one decides to abort it? Nadia was kind enough to share with us that she had a case where a teen girl got drunk on purpose so that she could have her boyfriend kick and punch her stomach till she suffered a miscarriage. Imagine the horror on everyone’s faces when we heard that.

Other myths of abortion methods that were also mentioned at the table were herbal stuff, pills, and pineapples. And these do not work, so don’t try them at home, kids. Interestingly, Dr. Ann shared an irony with us that at the age of 16 in Singapore, the act of termination does not require the consent of a parent, however, if she decides to have the baby (in which an epidural will be needed), consent would be required to administer the epidural.

(L to R): Denise, Dr. Ann, reporter from The Straits Times.

On the topic of kids relating to parents, Dr. Sundardas said that parents need to provide due care to their children by giving them freedom on the condition that they (the teens) share with their parents the type of friends they hang out with, which is not a bad trade-off if you ask me.

However, there’s also the possibility that a parent might ban their teens from befriending a certain someone, which could result in a disastrous scenario of all bets being called off. And this is only what I think, cause both parents and teens may have different perceptions on what constitutes a ‘good’ friend.

Given the discussions on the various aspects of teenage pregnancy, one thing that’s certain is the urgency and seriousness of dealing with this matter. It’s a collective effort that does not absolve in a matter of days, weeks or months, but years, in order to cultivate an understanding of the causes and available solutions.

16 and Pregnant will certainly be an eye-opener to teens and others as well. Remember to catch its premiere on Sunday, 22nd November 2009 at 11am (SG/HK), 12pm (MY).

Also, we’re inviting you and your friends to share your thoughts on this blog platform after every episode. Denise Keller, MTV VJ and Youth Task Force Ambassador will be blogging on this very blog and she will also respond to any comments. So start posting your comments!