Still, there are moments of realism in the film, such as when Juno’s bulging belly becomes the hot topic of conversation in the high school hallways while the boy who fathered her child is basically given a free pass. This reminded me of a group of girls I met in the fall who came to the annual meeting of Girls for a Change, an organization based in Silicon Valley that helps girls launch social-change projects in their neighborhoods. Niko Everett, co-CEO of Girls for a Change, finds it discouraging that young girls are sent so many mixed messages about how they should view their own sexuality. Terrie Lind, associate vice president for teen programs at Planned Parenthood’s chapter based in the South Bay, said she was astonished by how many of her kids’ friends called her for advice when they were teenagers. Lind supervises a program called Teen Success that works with teen mothers to stay in school, and she knows only too well what can happen to kids who act like they know everything. read more

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