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Teen Mom: The Next Chapter cast members Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley are talking openly about s*x, birth control, and everything in between with their 14-year-old daughter Leah Shirley. During Teen Mom: The Next Chapter's August 23 episode, Leah and her father, Gary, talked about Leah's period issues and how her doctor has recommended she use birth control.
The two also discussed Amber's teenage pregnancy. During this time, Leah was fine with sharing all the information on camera after her doctor's appointment, and she shared the following with Gary:
“[The doctor] explained to me, how to, like, take it. She gave me a whole talk about everything.”
Afterward, Gary Shirley shared with Leah what her mother, Amber, had to go through when she became pregnant at the age of 17. He said:
"I'm glad you have that mindset. Guys are sly. They'll say certain things to make you feel special. You have to keep in mind, as you already are, that if you play, you pay. Your mom, she was 17. She was out of high school because she stopped going."
After this, Leah asked him if she had done anything wrong or messed up. Gary Shirley assured her that she was fine and asked her to be open in the future if she faced any difficulties.
Gary Shirley's daughter, Leah, shared her perspective on teenage pregnancy
Having had a brief conversation with Gary Shirley on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Leah told her father that she would speak with Kristina and that since she is a woman, she would be more comfortable. Then she expressed her opinion on the topic of teenage pregnancy. In her words:
"Conversations about our bodies and s*xual things and things like that is always awkward and probably a little bit uncomfortable. You have to have enough trust built up to be able to talk about those things, so I'm really lucky to have Kristina and my dad to talk to and to understand me. I do not think I'd ever be able to have a kid any time soon because my parents were obviously very young.”
Furthermore, Leah Shirley shared the following:
“Just even thinking about it is really stressful, because I have my own life right now. I have a chance to go to college, a good college if I want, to even have a good career. I want to be able to have a kid when I have a job and a future that I can look to and not be so young that I am strapped and deprived from that."
Then Amber Portwood shared her happiness with Gary Shirley and his current wife, Kristina, who assisted Leah. She expressed her her pride in her daughter and gratitude to Kristina and Gary for raising Leah the way they have. Leah and Amber don't have a perfect relationship due to Amber's "mental health and substance abuse issues."
During the February episode of Teen Mom Family Reunion, Amber discussed the following about her relationship with her daughter:
“I was not doing everything that I could with Leah. Now, so much has changed. Back in the day I thought staying away was the best thing to do for Leah and it actually just completely backfired a couple years later.”
Fans can catch the latest episode of Teen Mom: Next Chapter on August 30 on MTV.
