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Teenage Pregnancy - Is Abortion a Solution?
Posted by Ranu • 9/10/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: abortion, child support, teenage pregnancy
There is a rise in teenage pregnancy. It is hard for teenagers to support their kids. Do you think abortion is a solution?
User Comments
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No. PRevention is the answer and the requires a commitment to provide education and resources (access to birth control).
Just looking at the differences between the USA and EUrope is quite telling.
www.advocatesforyouth.org/PUBLICATIONS/factsheet/fsest.htm -
I dont think abortion should be a solution, though some make it one. I dont care to argue if its right or wrong, as that can be a topic that takes years..but I do think that regardless of IF it should happen, I do think it happens more for the wrong reasons....especially, as you said, for teen pregnancy. But I will never be pregnant, or be in that position, so its hard to say.
luculent -
Need to educate teenagers to have safe sex. If not, no end fetus killing. Abortions lead to psychological problems. -
Per the law, it is an option. I don't have to like it, but for me, I must respect the law, whether t stays the same, or when it is changed. -
Of course it is an option it was actually a popular option before it was legal and was popular long before it was even an issue. All the way back to colonial times in the US you can find medical literature recommending responsible child rearing by aborting pregnancies with a black cohash penny royal tea.
The point is if you don't like abortions then you need to do everything in your power to make sure unwanted pregnancies are prevented in the first place. It isn't enough to say don't have sex until you're married. Saying abstinence is the best method to avoid it is perfectly fine if you are also including the facts that if you do have sex this is how you avoid getting knocked up your senior year of high school.-
I agree with you, Brad.
You stated the following..."The point is if you don't like abortions then you need to do everything in your power to make sure unwanted pregnancies are prevented in the first place. It isn't enough to say don't have sex until you're married."
...and i agree with you, for me to do that with my three children is to take care of business as a father. My kids are 12, 5, and 2. All boys. I have already started talking and listening to my 12 year old, and I will continue to do so. I am not "superdad", but I fell confident in myself to guide my children to be responsible also. I refuse and will continue to refuse to count on other people to drive and carry out MY responsibilities on guiding my children to make responsible choices.
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I don't think that abortion is the answer because that doesn't teach responsibility.
One key is education, but a huge element that is missing today is parental involvement in the lives of their children. Children are left to raise themselves without proper guidance, and children are simply not capable of understanding the consequences of their actions. Without parental involvement, the situation looks bleak to me.
Education alone won't cut it. Children can have all of the information in the world, and they can even have all of the right "equipment" at their fingertips, but children also live with the mentality that "it can't happen to me."
So is abortion the answer? No. Education in coordination with parental involvement is the answer.-
I agree that you can't only rely on schools for this, parents have to be involved, no matter how embarrassed they might feel or how religious they think they are. On the flipside schools this is a must for schools. We charge these schools with the burden of making sure our kids graduate and so does our state and federal governments, if a girl gets knocked up her chances of graduating go down to about 20% (nationwide statistic). Furthermore the younger they are when they get pregnant the more likely they are to have another before they are 18.
Too many people think telling fourth fifth and sixth grade girls not to have sex is enough, but I can tell you for a fact it isn't, I pay attention to what all the neighborhood kids are saying, especially those my son's age. I about had a fit when I found him kissing a girl who I overheard telling another girl she was having sex with another boy in their class. Thankfully he isn't nearly as randy as I was at that age or they would have been doing it right their in the park most likely... -
Definitely. Abortion is a last resort. Prevention is much preferred.
Teach girls how to use birth control. Teach guys how to use condoms.
That works to teach kids responsibility. What doesn't work is leaving kids in the dark and hoping they would chose abstinence. Yeah, right. That happened when?
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I don't believe in abortion unless a woman is raped or the baby may cause harm to the woman's health. There are other solutions. In many states now you can just leave the baby at a hospital with out anyone knowing.
Prevention is the best answer though. Guys wear a raincoat, girls birth control. Teach abstinence but do it in a manner that "If you feel you must then protect yourself." This is what my mom did and it kept me out of trouble. -
Prevention is key. A woman does have the right to do as she wishes - but if a pregnancy is unwanted, all parties involved need to be more educated, careful, and aware. -
The question asks if it is "a" solution. Of course it is. Whether it is a desirable solution or the best solution is another matter that will depend on specific circumstances—unless you take an absolute anti-abortion-under-all-circumstances-no-matter-what stance, in which case circumstances are probably irrelevant. -
Research shows teenage pregnancy had lead to many domestic violence cases. They are beaten up by the child's father. Most of the teenagers got pregnant by men minimum 6 years older to them. Majority fathers were in the 27 year bracket.
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People for abortion don't make sense. Think about it. If someone makes a mistake in their view and gets pregnant, why should an innocent life pay for their error by being killed?
It makes no sense at all. Nobody seems to like to think on a level beyond pleasing themselves.-
But don't you feel if a teenage mother cannot give good life to her child then why give birth to the child. Conception could have been unplanned but wouldn't be a bigger mistake not to give her child a secure future.
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It makes no sense to you, because you are incapable of realizing not everyone considers it a person. Of course your point is completely hypocritical because if you honestly believed this was a person and should be cared for as well any child that has already been born then you would make sure no pregnant woman had to work a job potentially dangerous to the fetus, that proper medical care was available and provided, and the mother had every possible resources (including food and safe shelter) to make sure the fetus developed properly and was delivered safely. It is a living person so long as it doesn't inconvenience you or your wallet.
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"But don't you feel if a teenage mother cannot give good life to her child then why give birth to the child."
Part of the problem here is the decline of multi-generational family support. Most teenage mothers are not in a position to provide support and appropriate parenting on their own, but with the help of the girl's parents and other extended family it would be a whole different ballgame. -
I don't mind not making sense to anyone else. I do have somewhat of a selfish outlook when it comes to my choices and preferences and take liberty in laughing at anyone who insists otherwise. So yes, I will continue to make choices, which include abortion if necessary, that are best for myself before anyone else.
Having noted that, it would be irritating to see loads of teenagers lining up for abortion not because it was simply an accident despite using the available precautionary methods, but because they played it unsafe deliberately and run to abortion instead. People should know the basics of preventing these sort of things from happening. I take measures myself to ensure it never happens, if it does..it would be one of those nightmare accidents and then I'd run to an abortion clinic.
But yeah, man is this topic talked of death. And yet I still find myself reading and responding! ;( -
@MadameX: The even bigger problem is worthless parents who will ditch their child if they make a mistake, or force an abortion to "save face" and therefore put their children in the position of possible homelessness, and maybe even death. Add to this the extremely successful societal brainwashing that tells kids that they can't be successful without an education, and you get a truly toxic combination.
Personally, I don't believe a child is justified in getting an abortion unless they are in such a situation, minimum.
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Would Jesus agree with me or you? I think he would be against abortion no matter how old a fetus is. Killing is wrong no matter how young someone is.
If someone does not want the baby, put it up for adoption and let someone take care of it.-
You're deliberately oversimplifying the issue. What about cases where a mother's life is in danger? What about rape? There are other examples.
But that's why I don't like this hypothetical stuff. It sets up a seemingly simple problem without adding any context.
Edited to add: It also ignores the whole issue of what happens to the child after it's born. Adoption is *one* option, but only for some babies. What if the child is black? Are people lining up to adopt these babies? (Yeah, this is a real crass thing to say. But so is telling a woman what to do with her own body under any and all circumstances that you might not even be able to imagine.) -
Well considering as his father supported killing every man, women, and child in the war against the Amalekites (Numbers 2) and God himself gave man the penalty of death for his sins (Genesis 2), God was willing to kill his own son to fulfill the gospel, and that Deuteronomy also makes it clear that killing is justified for self-defense, I'd say probably he would consider killing of one sort or another justifiable under some circumstances.
Further, he also said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and dissuaded people from "resisting an evil person."
I really don't like this wimp idea of my savior. Whatever happened to "The Lord our God is a man of war" (Exodus). -
you seem to be confusing the god of Moses with a philosopher from Nazareth... and perhaps with the True God of Nature... -
@Agit8r: He sanctions the mosaic scriptures though. ("It is easier for heaven and earth to fade away then for one title of the law to fail.") I think you may be misreading Jesus. Also, look at the sermon of the valedictory (Matthew 24 and 25) and how tooth and nail some of those parables can be.
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If a mothers life is in danger if they have the baby? That is different. The mothers life would come first. Rape? Have the baby and put it up for adoption if you do not want it.
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I see you saw my first objection before I posted it. Asking a mother to bear a child who is the product of rape is more than I can fathom. Don't even know where to begin with that one.
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But, Mark, you must see that this hinges on whether or not you believe that child is a live human being with rights of its own from the moment of conception. If you DO believe that, then there isn't really any more justification for killing it in the case of rape than voluntary sex, is there?
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Well, if Mikeny07 is willing to concede the issue on saving the mother's life, then I think we've already crossed the line where her health matters. And here we're talking about a major health issue, especially given the sad state of mental health care in this country, where the issue continues to be about life before birth and to hell with you after you leave the womb.
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mikeny07 is unbelievable !! typical case of jesus brainwashed people!!
i'm against abortion for sure but it can be the solution for teenager, rape victim or when mother health is in danger. i think 1 abortion in 1 life is acceptable (youth mistake can happen to everyone) but we have to control and stop the serial abortionist. i mean those woman who has been aborted like 4-5 time .. -
@ttiger: I do want you to realizer, tiger, that while this fellow may well be a case of that, not Christians are. MadameX and me are both Christians, I'm a protestant and she's a catholic, do we look brainwashed?
Still, I will admit that making fun of the church sometimes can be a ball! -
I am always appalled by anyone who suggest that a woman who becomes pregnant as a result of rape should just "carry the baby to term and give it up for adoption." Generally spoken by people who have not endured the trauma of rape. Let me enlighten you. It will be years before you stop looking over your shoulder wondering if someone is going to grab you. It may take months before you are physically capable of actually having sex with a man you actually love. It can take years before you are capable of achieving orgasm during sex because of the trauma someone inflicted upon you. Do not EVEN dare to make a statement that a victim of rape should carry a living reminder of that moment with her for almost 10 months to appease your loyalty to an idealistic religion. She will already carry the memory of being raped - she doesn't need anything nore than that to scar her for life. -
@stjavo: I agree.
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You will be surprised to know that 62% of teenage pregnancy is due to rape or forced sex by men much older to them.
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Yes,Ranu, I would be VERY surprised to know that. Can you provide a source?
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I would dispute that. The 60% statistic has been bandied about for some time and arrived at by declaring any pregnancy that occurs before the legal age of consent as rape. In the states used for those studies that age was invariable 17 or 18, while most of the US has a legal age of consent of 16, with a dozen states 14 or 15 depending on the age of the partner.
People throwing that statistic around are the same ones that believe no girls ever should have sex before marriage and good girls never do, which makes birth control for teens irrelevant. -
That's not what the article you linked to says at all. It says the "vast majority" of fathers in teen pregnancies are twenty or older. It says nothing about force.
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"People throwing that statistic around are the same ones that believe no girls ever should have sex before marriage and good girls never do"
Nope. I believe both of those things, and I was the first one to challenge Ranu's statistics. I thought you guys liked to attribute stereotyping to conservatives? -
sounds like you are in India -
Tony, she might be in India, but she's linking to US articles (which don't support her assertion)
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Oh Ok, I just assumed that Ranu is Indian, and it is so culturally different, neither better or worse, but the cultural difference would really make a difference both in statistics, which don't sound right. And also the question itself is weird, and as I said further down, I cannot believe that any adult would ask this question, particularly a woman.
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Is it really 62%? Kids today date from 5th grade on and go out with each other. I thought that is where most of the pregnancy is coming from.
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I was thinking if the mother has something wrong with her where if she has the baby she will die.
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Washington study on teenage pregnancy and wiki are good sources.
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Wikipedia is rarely a good source, though sometimes the articles are based on good sources. How about some links?
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i'm not anti-abortion. but i am against the use of abortion as a birth control.-
I'm with you.
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A good article on it www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/07/teen-pregnancy-a-preventable-publi...
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You mean than everyone is allowed 1 free killing? But if you do it more than once it is no good?
You have to be kidding me? Since I was a kid long before I ever understood many things in life, I never understood how is OK to kill someone. It makes no sense at all in modern society today. It freaks me out beyond belief. It is actually insane when you think about it. -
I do NOT support abortion as a substitute for birth control nor do I know anyone personally who does.
U.S. Abortion Rate continues long-term decline, falling to the lowest level since Roe vs Wade - The abortion rate is now at its lowest level since 1974. The number of abortions declined as well, to a total of 1.2 million in 2005, 25% below the all-time high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990. www.guttmacher.org/media/nr/2008/01/17/index.html
There is currently no federal program dedicated to supporting comprehensive sex education that teaches young people about both abstinence and contraception.
Federal law establishes a stringent eight-point definition of “abstinence-only education” that requires programs to teach that sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong and harmful—for people of any age. The law also prohibits programs from advocating contraceptive use or discussing contraceptive methods except to emphasize their failure rates.
Federal guidelines now define sexual activity to include any behavior between two people that may be sexually stimulating, which could be interpreted as including even kissing or hand-holding.
Despite years of evaluation in this area, there is no evidence to date that abstinence-only education delays teen sexual activity. Moreover, recent research shows that abstinence-only strategies may deter contraceptive use among sexually active teens, increasing their risk of unintended pregnancy and STIs.
Statistics and sources www.blogcatalog.com/politics/discuss/entry/abstinence-only-programs-ineffec...-
Abortion is NOT a solution - preventing unwanted pregnancies is for more sources in reference to my post above scroll down to www.blogcatalog.com/politics/discuss/entry/abstinence-only-programs-ineffec...
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I rarely swear, but when I see people ask such stupid questions that are based around such complex situations relating to individuals all I can say is it totally gives me the SHITS
How any adult can ask a question like that is totally beyond my uderstanding -
Teenager pregnancy is a social issue and there is no harm in knowing people’s perspective.
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I'm all for hearing people's perspectives. The problem is most abortion discussions turn bad when people refuse to accept that not everyone shares the same ideals, and because of this anyone who thinks different is automatically wrong.
not everyone believes in god, and not everyone believes human life begins at conception, no matter how hard you try you're not going to change someone beliefs in a discussion forum. -
the problem is that your question cannot in anyway cover the variables that arise and how anybody can possibly try and get any sort of sensible answer that covers every perspective, every situation is questionable. Call it a social issue if you like but really it is the most delicate and serious issue a woman may every face, that is why I personally have such difficulty with the question, it's bordering on frivolous, flippant, and how an educated person could break it down to simple question is still a wonder to me.
Just watch the answers you get here and you'll be able to measure the emotional intelligent of the people you are dealing with. Example look below. -
ZING!
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Yes, if you get an abortion your child wont be able to grow up and get pregnant as a teenager
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no.. -
Abortion doesn't solve the problem of the existence of unwanted pregnancies. It treats the symptoms, not the causes. Proper education will treat the causes and not just the symptoms.
However, a woman should have a right to an abortion. It's not a decision women will take lightly, and sex education (which SHOULD be taught by the parents, but some people don't want to humble themselves) will make sure abortions aren't being used to placate the pill.-
Good lord, I agree with you. :o -
I think it should be taught in school as a required class. Parents cannot teach what they do not know and there is a powerful amount of ignorance out there.
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Hi Kobra! I agree with 99% of what you said. But do you think they should have the right to take someones life? Don't you have to draw the line on how far someones rights go?
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Absolutely not.
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Abortion has always been an answer for some people, always has been and always will be. The question at hand is whether women get to decide or not. I think many of you would be interested to talk to some older women who had abortions before they were legal. Women were dying, becoming sterile. Now there are those that feel that's the "punishment" for having an abortion. My opinion on abortion has been the same for 30 years, it should be between a woman, her doctor and her God and no one else.
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Who is speaking though on behalf of the unborn kid? He can't say his voice on the matter or how he feels about it.
It is the same as someone 90 years old that can't speak up for themselves. If someone says to cut their life off because they they they are suffering too much from sickness. -
mikeny07: Obviously the abortion must take place before the fetus develops a nervous system. No nervous system? No suffering.
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I think mikeny's concerns extend past just suffering. Some people belive human life begins far before the development of a nervous system and that taking that life is never acceptable.
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That would require the existence of a soul or some other such unverified claim.
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If u cant prevent it, give it up for adoption-
Some women do not want to be pregnant. Your "plan" does not address that: abortion does.
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hellboi: What about situations where the pregnancy will KILL the mother and the baby has no chance of survival?
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voodoo: Nature must take its course. If God wants the baby to live at the sacrifice of the mother, then that's the what it has got to be.
SweetViolet: If you don't want to be pregnant, keep your pills at hand. Simple. -
hellboi, I think you somehow missed half of Kobra's relatively brief question: "and the baby has no chance of survival?'
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"hellboi, I think you somehow missed half of Kobra's relatively brief question"
hellboi also seemed to somehow miss a step in the evolution process.
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No way Jose! Abortion is offered as such an easy solution, that young girls don't worry about having safe sex. I work with trouble teens, and some of the girls just don't care about unprotected sex because they say, "I'll just go get an abortion." But there are consequences to everything in life. The decision to have a baby comes when you have sex, not after life has been created.-
Wow, way to judge!
My step sister is pregnant. She was on the pill (yes she took it every day at the same time and never forgot). She was responsible and still got pregnant. She is considering an abortion, but to call it an easy solution is a slap in the face. She does not want an abortion and is actually making herself sick about it.
With your attitude I am amazed they allow you to work with troubled kids.
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I just want to say that issues of abortion, birth control, teen sex, etc., etc., etc. aside, I'm SO sick of hearing people refer to babies as "consequences". Is that the attitude we want to encourage women and girls to have toward their children? "You did this to yourself, now you're stuck with it"? How does that foster healthy relationships, responsible parents, loving homes or any of the things we like to pay lip service to? Or are we willing to sacrifice the child to whatever kind of fallout there is from that attitude, so long as we get even with the mother for having sex without taking precautions?
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@MadameX
You stated "I'm SO sick of hearing people refer to babies as "consequences"."
Thank, thank you, thank you!!!!
As a man and a proud daddy of three, I agree!!! -
Heh yeah I agree..I'm guilty of referring to children like that myself because I have a strong dislike for babies. Nothing in particular caused the dislike, just find them incredibly overrated, obnoxious and anything but cute. I have a hard time understanding the infatuation when looking at my sisters and their kids.
I wish I could simply transfer my overly fertile ability over to someone who would love to have kids and just couldn't.
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i agree with madamex, and i just want to add this, the girls at the age of teen have to think about them too, they have to have control on their emotions, sometimes they have done that for fun or they may be not aware of future but abortion after doing that isnot solution.
why don't they think, they are telling their younger ones the same to doat the age of 10-15 years, bcoz they do catch everything fastly and that effects on theirupcoming bright future. -
for some i suppose it is a terrible option after the solutions fall short.
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No. It will worsen the situation. Since there is an available 'solution', they will be more careless to do it. -
Obviously education is the answer - but not a solution once the teenager is pregnant... It really depends on the circumstances...
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Abortion is not the solution the only solution that we will have to look at is Prevention of early pregnancy. As abortion may lead to death and this will not solve anything but cause another question that is Death due to abortion what can we do avoid.
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Publicly, I am Pro-Choice. Personally, I am Pro-Life. I have had one abortion in my lifetime. I was 18, had just started college and was 700 miles from home. I was terrified and knew I was not prepared to have a child and my boyfriend agreed. Was it the right decision for me? Absolutely. Would I ever "recommend" it or go through it again? Absolutely not. Nor would I have asked my parents to assist me in raising a child - it would not have been their place as it was my responsibility and I resolved it the way I thought best.
Mothers who insist their daughters will remain virgins until marriage or "will be careful" need to go ahead and Norplant them to prevent teenage pregnancy (it's too easy for teenagers to forget to take the Pill). Problem solved. I wish my mother would have done that for me rather than assuming I'd be careful. I was 18 - how many 18 year olds do you know who are careful??
That having been said, you can't even imagine my dismay when, laying in recovery in North Carolina, a nurse came in to consult with the head nurse...because a girl was there for her SIXTH abortion and was concerned about it affecting her fertility. Abortion is not birth control - it's a means to an ends when you have nowhere else to turn - but if you can afford that pack of cigarettes, five chocolate bars, six-pack of beer, you can afford $5 a month at Planned Parenthood. -
NO and never will that be the solution.
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Just two days ago the last entry was made on the same topic here www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/is-abortion-right
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It's one solution, but the worst one. The solution would be to stop preaching about abstinence and teach the kids about condoms instead.
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i'm definitely pro choice, but i think teenagers would be much better off giving a baby up for adoption - abortion just seems too mentally draining and painful for a teenager to handle. plus, adoption is beneficial for so many people!-
It depends on the kid. I would have rather died than given birth - I still feel that way. With the medical abortions that can be done these days, you hardly notice the abortion anyway. When it's done early enough, intellectually you know you were pregnant, but you haven't had time to internalise it yet - especially if you're not too torn between your choices. I think the traumatising factor in abortions is greatly exaggerated in many cases, while I understand that to some people it can be horrible, while to some it's no way different than taking the pill.
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you have a good point - even now at 22, i would probably do anything to avoid giving birth if i accidentally got pregnant. you're right about birth control as well (and the plan b pill)...
as for the trauma factor, i have a feeling it's a lot like any other medical procedure - if you've prepared yourself, it'll be easier; if you're expecting it to end badly, it's more likely that it will... -
@ sebastyne i understand that if you haven't experienced it, you can only speak in generalizations. while i have no regret in having an abortion at the age of 18 and having just started college, let me assure you that while I was only 8 weeks pregnant when I had the pregnancy terminated, it WAS traumatizing, it DID haunt me for years after and it was one of the most terrible experiences of my life. Would I have been better off having the child (I never would have considered adoption) - I can't say. I'd have an almost 18 year old now if I had kept it...but I would also never try to trivialize such an experience.
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first of all teenagers who gets preg. are really need to think about their action...if they wanna have sex atleast do it safe...don't get preg. and then get panic and think about killing that innocent soul... just because you were just too selfish and stupid not to think ahead....having a baby is a big thing ....it takes alot of work and sacrifce and planning .....it's not a doll you can shut off and on when you like....so if teen have sex and goes Opps.... they out to get their head checked ! -
Yeah, it's a solution. As much as I hate abortion... I believe in this situation, it should be considered. -
This is a complicated situation, because if the mum is motherfu**** and her son suffer there are 2 victims. The pregnancy teen have to be supported by parents...if not... or are very strong and win the battle or fall... Depends of person. -
Never ending story........ -
Of course not..
I should start a discussion. 2+2 is 4. agree or not? BC seems buzzing today -
What a stupid discussion! Ofcourse not. You want a solution - condoms, pills, abstinence... Not ending the life of a human being because "you made a mistake!" or because "you are not ready!". Each one of us pays for our own mistakes and if you weren't ready you should have thought of that before. -
Never, adoption should be the only option. There are thousands of people that would gladly pay all cost and more if given the chance to adopt. -
Absolutely! Let's rent a time machine, go back to 1986 and abort today's youth. Problem solved. -
Abortion is an option, not a solution. There is no solution. -
The real question is: Are we providing enough education to make sound choices......-
I would say, is there a good environment for fostering the right thoughts?
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i agree with nothingprofound, that there is no solution, but abortion is an option.
despite what modern society will lead us to believe, we humans were actually meant to reproduce in our teens and early 20's. however, as we advanced to form civilizations and societies, it became a distasteful problem. we do need to provide kids with better education, but we should not shame them for making a mistake caused by nature (hormones). perhaps abortion wouldn't need to be an option if we stopped attatching shame and dishonour to teenage pregnancy and sex in general. while we definitely SHOULDN'T encourage it, we should also not treat it as the end of the world. young women should also have the right to access contraceptives and emergency birth control if they choose.
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