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Most of the time, teen pregnancies are unplanned. Teens do not realize that having sex can bring tons of responsibilities to them if they get pregnant. Peer pressure greatly influences any teenager’s perception about the sexuality that leads to teenage pregnancy. What is considered unethical and immoral in society is when accepted in a peer group, such as underage sex, teenagers tend to conform to the norms, resulting in unplanned pregnancies. Teen girls often don’t think about the consequences of their sexual actions and what life would be like to become a teen mom, which is very much possible. This makes it crucial to educate them on this stigmatized topic.

“The Cookie” is a book that projects the importance of sex education in teens to prevent teen pregnancies. The book focuses on the life of Lauren, a teen girl who has a crush on Robbie, who goes to the same school. Even though she would regard her parents’ warnings about sex, her infatuation with Robbie and the peer pressure makes her question and challenge everything.

Ideally, teen girls are supposed to stay virgins until they are mature enough to handle all the consequences that come along with this life-changing decision. However, this school of thought has become far-fetched in this era. This is where the book comes into play. The book is written for girls who find it difficult to uphold the traditional beliefs and values passed down by their parents and the older generations and are too caught up by the recent times of being unrestrained and trying out things at an early age.

Manny Showalter, one of the book’s authors, while talking to the press on the launch event of the book, said, “Parents and their children, both find it hard to talk to each other on the stigmatized topic, that is SEX! Our book is going to break the ice on addressing the issues that are still considered taboo even in this modern age.”

If we look at the statistics, 1 out of 4 women in the US becomes pregnant by the early age of 17 years old. The children born to these young girls are more likely to suffer from health issues, financial issues, and domestic abuse.

On asking about the reason behind writing this book, Dylan Showalter, the other author of the book, said, “The book was written for girls who find it hard to stick to the traditional values and beliefs, and want to try out everything, without caring about their age. Sometimes, these mistakes are made due to peer pressure, and sometimes when they lose control over their desires and give in. However, these young girls don’t realize that having sex at such an early age can lead to them getting pregnant, which adds on more responsibilites to them, risks their future, and stops their career growth. Hence, we want our book to create awareness about the consequences of teenage sex and pregnancies.”

Both the authors referred to the book as a “Parenting tool,” which can be read to children between the ages of 8-17 years old. The authors requested the public to support their idea and build awareness about the issue.

The Sandra Showalter Willians Foundation is committed to creating awareness about teenage sex and issues and is on a mission to prevent teen pregnancy, sex trafficking, and improving the financial condition of teens and young adults. Furthermore, the foundation provides financial aid to teens and youth that are prone to risk. To make a difference, you can join the foundation and donate.

In response to an inquiry about future intentions, the writers responded. The Sandra Showalter Williams Foundation (www.showalterfoundation.org would like to form partnerships with significant organizations and celebrities such as Black Lives Matter, the MeToo Movement, the Girl Scouts, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande according to him. Each book sold earns the organization $2.50, which is donated to the cause. The book’s website is http://www.cookiebook.org if you want to learn more about it. The book is the first of its kind and does not contain any explicit material.