11 Year-old Mother

　　Imagine that you are an 11-year-old girl who is six months pregnant. You have no idea how babies are made, let alone what contraception is and how to use it. You are not ready to be a mother, nor are you ready to leave your childhood behind so early. You will have to raise your child when you are still a child yourself…
　　Wait, what?
　　This is exactly what happened to 11-year-old Kordeza Zhelyazkova.
　　When Kordeza’s grandmother noticed that her granddaughter was putting on some weight, she also found out that her granddaughter was seeing a boy. She immediately went out and purchased a pregnancy test. The result left the two stunned. “I just thought I’d been eating too many burgers,” said Kordeza, when she found out that she was about six months pregnant.
　　Kordeza met Jeliazko while being bullied by boys from her school – he fought off her tormentors. Jeliazko, 19-years-old at the time, fell in love with Kordeza. She asked him out on a date and they arranged to meet. At the time, he thought that Kordeza was 15-years-old. She never revealed her age; she didn’t want him to think she was too young for him. Two weeks after Kordeza’s 11th birthday, she became pregnant, but wasn’t aware of her pregnancy until she was three short months away from giving birth.
　　On October 22nd, 2009, Kordeza married Jeliazko and coincidentally gave birth while still dressed in her wedding gown. 20 minutes upon arriving at the local hospital, Kordeza gave birth to a healthy 5 ½ pound baby girl. The couple named her Violeta, after Jeliazko’s mother.
　　Kordeza currently lives in a one bedroom apartment with her baby and will receive £70 each month (about 123 Canadian dollars). She has decided to quit school to take care of her daughter. During an interview, she noted “I used to play with my toys but now [Violeta] is my new toy. I am a mother now, and Violeta is the child. I must grow up.” Jeliazko was faced with charges of having sex with a minor. If convicted, he will face up to 6 years in prison.
　　It might be hard for some to comprehend how on earth an 11-year-old became pregnant. In countries such as Canada or the United States, sexual education is taught in most schools. However, it’s important to remember that sexual education isn’t part of the curriculum everywhere in the world. In many third world countries, children do not attend school, therefore are unable to learn about the consequences of having unprotected sex. Contrastingly, developed countries are seeing a rise in teenage pregnancy, too. Kordeza lives in Sliven, Bulgaria, a nation where teenage pregnancy is a common occurrence. Kordeza’s grandmother noted, “It’s normal for our girls to have babies young. It’s our tradition.” In other cultures, sex education may not be discussed as openly. If teenage pregnancies are normal in Bulgaria, shouldn’t these teenagers at least be educated, so they know what their choices are?
　　Teenage pregnancy can cause many problems for not only the teen, but also the people around them. For the mother, they could face several different issues. During the first few months of the pregnancy, most teenage mothers do not consult a doctor or go to a clinic. Without regular checkups, the mother would be unaware of any problems with fetal development. For the father, they could fall into a similar scenario like Jeliazko, where they could be sent to prison, if convicted. A problem for both the mother and father is financial instability. Medical bills, on top of the cost for baby supplies, can add up to an overwhelming number. In addition, since teenage pregnancy is usually unintentional it can alter plans for the teenager’s future. Instead of attending school, the teenager could become a stay-at-home mom or dad.
　　How can young parents understand the responsibilities of raising another human being? Are they even able to leave their childhood behind and become parents at such an early age? Don’t these teenagers deserve to know about the risks they face if they’re sexually active? There are teens that are educated, but most aren’t. Reasons could include that sexual education isn’t a part of a school’s curriculum or that schools aren’t even available to begin with. Perhaps some young parents are capable to adapt to their new life, developing and maturing, but some will continue to depend on others. Teenagers deserve to know about the choices they have.