Alcohol, pregnancy, STIs, drugs, depression and suicide are big teenage topics that we are told about at some point. We’ve all sat in a freshman health class, that by the time you’re a senior, you don’t remember any of it.
These conversations need to be talked about more often and discussed more in detail. When talking about alcohol and drugs, we need not just be told that they are bad and we will get in trouble. We need to be told about those who do get caught and their consequences, those who become addicts, how it takes over their lives, they can’t get jobs and can’t support themselves, and how it could have been prevented.
According to the American Addiction Center, 35-40% of alcoholics become homeless and only around 30% will recover. The National Health Association states approximately 105,000 people die of drug overdoses with 92% of those deaths due to someone trying something out of curiosity or buying/given something that was tampered with.
When talking about pregnancy and STIs, we need to be shown the reality of how your life will no longer be what you knew it to be. For example, if you have a child, the trajectory of your life is changed and will never be the same because of the life you brought into the world; you’re now responsible for not just your life, but another life. Bringing another human being into the world is one thing, supporting it and creating the best possible life for your child is another. Another tough pill that has to be swallowed is choosing to not continue a pregnancy may not always be an option for women with laws and legislations being passed left and right.
The stigma around STIs will never really change as much as people would like it to: those who have had/have an STI face the harsh reality of how people treat you. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 20% of people in the United States have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Every year, around 4,000 cases of STDs being transmitted from mother to child are reported. Not all STDs are curable, but all are treatable, that’s why it’s important to tell someone.
To avoid sticky situations, you absolutely must practice safe sex and know the effectiveness of the contraceptives you are using.
Conversations about depression and suicide were some of the hardest conversations I have ever had, but they were necessary. No one truly knows what one may be feeling or going through unless it is talked about. Depression and suicidal ideation can seem completely invisible to the naked eye. It’s not just always affecting the kid that sits in the corner with their headphones in their sleep,it is always a possibility, but it could just as easily be the kid in APs, Varsity sports, club presidents etc.
More students than we would like to believe are participating in such activities. Instead of getting weird and silent when we have questions, we should be encouraged to be curious and be told these hard truths.
Instead of judging someone for what they are facing, we should try our best to understand their story and help them. Maybe it’s helping a friend go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, giving a neighbor a box of diapers, giving someone a ride to a free clinic, or having an honest conversation.
If you find yourself facing adversity, reach out. Life is hard and scary; but one thing doesn’t have to mean it’s over. MHS has an abundance of support systems to help.
