The Hard Truth About How Often Teen Fathers Stick Around

In some ways, Hope's experience as a pregnant teenager and young mom was very typical--she was overwhelmed,

frustrated with her weight gain and wished she could go away to college with her friends. Pretty standard stuff for the hundreds of thousands of teen girls who give birth every year.

But in one respect, her life was a lot different: She and her baby's father were trying to make their relationship work. Hope and Ben hadn't been together all that long when she got pregnant, and initially, he ignored her when she told him she was pregnant. But after a few months he came around, and by the end of the episode, they were trying hard to be a family. That's not usually the case.

Most teen mothers don't live with the father of their baby, and many say they avoid each other altogether. Of the teen moms who do live with their baby's father, nearly one-third say they often argue. So far, Hope and Ben are the exception. They moved in together, shared responsibilities and seemed committed to working through the hard times for the benefit of their son.

+ Why do you think Ben had a change of heart? Better yet, why do you think most guys don't step up like he did? And, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, why do so many girls still think a baby will make him stay? Share your thoughts!