Exclusive Message from 'Yearbook Chronicles' Alumn, Martha

We recently caught up with 'Yearbook Chronicles' cast-member Martha, who sent us the following note about what she's been up to since the show aired, and shared some of the advice she wished someone would've given her about the realities of teen pregnancy.

Hey everybody, it's Martha! My life has been really good but I'm still struggling to get my high school diploma and do something for me and my son to move on forward. It's hard but I have learned never to give up! For all those girls out there, be very careful! Teen pregnancy is one of the hardest obstacles in life. It comes with a lot of struggles and things that can knock you down if you let yourself.

I have been strong for my son, but I could have prevented it from happening. I went from being a 16-year-old teenager to having my life change as a mom. Now I'm 18 with a 2-year-old son. It's hard but heart-warming to see how my son looks forward to seeing me. If your boyfriend tells you "if you love me you will have my baby" or "if you love me you will give it up to me" -- and those are the famous words most guys use to get you girls to be with them -- that means they don't truly love you. True love will wait and not force you. It's hard 'cause you might love that person, but you will love yourself throughout life knowing you weren't a fool to fall for those dumb words. Live your teenage years and have fun.

As for me, I have school and work. I don't have time for teenage life to go out with my friends but that's a life I chose to take. Be smart girls and protect yourselves! Be safe. If anybody would like to personally talk to me you may I would be happy to hear and answer any questions you may have! You can reach me at my email martha.mendez91@yahoo.com.

The highly-acclaimed documentary 'Yearbook Chronicles' aired last year on MTV Tr3s, and gave us an inside look at los problemas that Latino youth face en las escuelas. It also explored some of the most compelling reasons for the high Latino high school dropout rate, including teen pregnancy.

Did you know that 30% of female high-school dropouts stated teen pregnancy as the reason for dropping out of school? Among Hispanic girls who've left school, 38% of them stated teen pregnancy as the reason -- compared with 21% for non-Hispanic girls, it is sobering to think that this seems to be more frequent among Latinas.  While there are of course many other reasons besides teen motherhood for dropping out of school, and some girls leave school before they get pregnant, these two things have been closely connected. 69% of Latina teen mothers drop out of high school, and most teen moms who have babies by age 18 never finish high school, with only about 3% of them finishing college by age 30.

More startling facts? 52% of Latinas get pregnant at least once before turning 20 — that means if you're Latina, you're more likely than not to get pregnant as a teen. With nearly 3 in 10 girls becoming pregnant before they are 20 throughout the U.S., this is not just an issue for the Latino community, but a problem that needs to be faced head-on by la comunidad entera.

The good news, as Martha says in her note, is that unplanned and teen pregnancy is completely and 100% avoidable.  Fore more info and resources on the topic, check out The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy at www.thenationalcampaign.org, and www.stayteen.org.

Tags Education, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnan, Stay Teen, teen pregnancy, Yearbook Chronicles