If you’re like most people, you probably have some strong opinions about the topic of teen moms. You might think the statistics prove that such moms are generally doomed to failure, that their kids turn out badly, and that such mothers cause problems for society as a whole.

Not so, says a writer who has published a book about teen mothers. According to her, recent studies show that while teen parents do typically struggle in the initial stages, most eventually do just fine, going on to create stable families and raise good kids.

Entitled You Look Too Young to be a Mom: Teen Mothers Speak Out on Love, Learning and Success, the book is an anthology of essays from real teen moms, ages 15 to 19.

Mothers Movement Online (a website “for mothers and others who think about social change”) has an excellent interview with the book’s creator, Deborah Davis.

In the interview, Davis talks about the stereotypes and discrimination that teen moms face. Basically, most people look down on young mothers as screw-ups and trouble-makers, and teen moms often have to overcome a lot of judgment and scorn. As anthology contributor Jackie Lanni notes, “Being a teenage mom is like being a woman in corporate America. You have to work twice as hard to get half the credit.”

In fact, overcoming society’s negative views of teen moms might be one of the hardest of the many challenges these mothers face. Raising a child is not easy, and doing so while being looked down upon is even more difficult. Avoiding the stigma is one reason young women may end up choosing adoption.

So if you’re young and pregnant, where do you turn? At the end of the interview, you’ll find a list of resources suggested by young mothers, which may be useful to you. You’ll probably notice that there aren’t many to choose from—a common problem for those of us searching for any possible source of help during an unplanned pregnancy. But it’s a start, and if you’re lucky enough to live in a state that does have programs, you may be able to find some assistance.