Moving into your adolescence years only gives you the physical capabilities of getting pregnant. Remember parenting is a big and expensive responsibility. Early parenthood will change your lives, plans and dreams forever. This includes what most youth pursue upon the completing of high school: Attending college, pursuing a career and moving. Teenage pregnancy at times involves marrying before you meet the right spouse. In most cases you become responsible for paying child support until the child has reached their adult life. Once you father a child you are a father forever.

The changes which take place during puberty can be very confusing. Your body's hormones are changing. Suddenly making decisions may become hard. You may enter a phase where it is very difficult to get along with your parents where not so far back you remember having a good relationship with them.

During this time you face the new challenges that come with being capable of parenting a child. You aren't under obligation to have sex or masturbate with friends. But prior to facing sexual peer pressure you need to consider the value of your life and consider that you were made unique, special and with a purpose.

It is possible to parent a child with your first sexual encounter. Birth control isn't guaranteed to prevent pregnancy. Birth control becomes less effective when not used as prescribed by manufacturers. In addition to this over the counter and prescribed medications further lesson the effectiveness of birth control.

It is also your decision if you choose to masturbate by yourself. It doesn't make you more or less of a man or woman if you do this. There is a real risk that routinely masturbating will lead to the slippery slope that develops into a lustful addiction to pornography and living in a fantasy world.

Youth shouldn't feel condemned or stuck in a cycle of guilt over past sexual encounters or masturbation. There is hope to move on with your life even if you have previously compromised your standards. Even when a child is born resulting from a teenage sexual encounter doesn't condemn you for the rest of your life. Through the help and support of adults you will move on to live a whole, healthy and balanced adult life.

During your teen years it helps to have a responsible adult of the same gender to talk to about these big decisions. As your relationship with your parents grows it will become easier to talk to them about these things as well.

An excellent book to read and understand the challenges faced during adolescence is called "Preparing For Adolescence" by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family. An excellent resource online to work towards purity is found on the Setting Captives Free web site. A sexual purity course is available free of charge, as well as other material relevant to what youth struggle through today.