We really want to meet adolescent mums and dads, but they are often absent due to
work or school. For instance, it is parents who should be bringing their child in for
vaccinations, not the grandmother. If the parents show up, we can ask them about their
child, their school, if they plan to return to school or work, as well as follow up on birth
control. Also, we can give them guidelines on certain life skills like learning to say no
and making the right decision. We are concerned about these factors whether they have
given birth or terminated their pregnancy. We also urge the adolescent fathers to come
forward so we can talk to them about the role of being a father, and try to make them
feel positive about caring for their child. Our data indicates that 40 percent of teenage
parents break up after the pregnancy, and only 60 percent of the fathers get involved.
Nevertheless, we don’t have data on the length of their involvement because we have
consistently learned that fathers only show up for a short while before disappearing. "