Ever since hearing news on the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States, Bangladeshi parents have been worrying about their teenage children. It was reported on Pregnancy Info that among Western countries, the United States has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy. The average number of pregnant girls between the ages of 15 and 19 per year is 821,810. Most of them were first involved in sexual relationships between the ages of 15 and 17.
The report further revealed that 84 out of one thousand teenage girls are pregnant.
Having heard the statistics, Bangladeshi-American families are worried about their own teenage children, especially teenage girls. Many are even thinking of sending their children back to Bangladesh. The parents of two girls told Bangla Patrika that the news was particularly frightening for them. "After hearing about it, we were worried about our daughters. We're thinking of sending them back to Bangladesh when they are a bit older." They would feel much more reassured having their daughters grow up in a Bangladeshi society.
The head of another family, who requested to remain anonymous, said that they are trying their best to raise their children properly and instill in them sound morals. "But when we see that boys and girls are openly involved in relationships with each other in this society, we get anxious; how de we keep our children away from this kind of behavior?"
Numerous discussions, as well as articles in the media, have centered on trying to come up with a solution to this problem.
People Magazine recently published an article about a girl whose life was turned upside-down after giving her boyfriend a nude picture of herself at his request.
Bangladeshi families worried about this issue said that it is difficult to talk to their daughters about it. However, it is important to emphasize that they should engage in physical and sexual relations only after they get married. These activities should not occur before marriage and especially not during one's teenage years. After all, it could very well ruin their lives.
