Teen Parents Need Access and Support, Not Shame and Scorn

Article originally appeared in Rewire on May 3rd, 2021

HK Gray was 15 when she found out she was pregnant with her first child. At the time, her father was homeless, and her mother was incarcerated. “I was ecstatic at the thought of having a family again,” she said.

Her pregnancy was relatively smooth—very little pain or morning sickness, and she was in good spirits the whole time.

But navigating school, work, and health care as a pregnant teen proved more challenging. Three months into her pregnancy, she dropped out of ninth grade. She was unable to re-enroll when she was ready because Texas required parental consent for that. She also needed parental consent to obtain Medicaid to cover doctors’ visits and prenatal care.