Teenage Pregnancy

[andonewhitetree]

I'm not trying to change your view.  This is a debates board.  Not everyone at that age is scarred buy having a child, it would scar someone an awful lot more if you forced them to do something they didn't want too.

edit - and yes i do agree with abortion, but not forcing people into it.

[Sez]

Exactly andone. If I ever had children and they got pregnant at a young age, I wouldn't force them to have an abortion however I would advise them to either have an abortion or give the child up for adoption. The person who is in the situation should make the decision and shouldn't be influenced by another person's opinion I think, they should make a decision because they feel that it's right for them.

[Cuthien, Wolf-maiden]

 

Andone, you're not gonna change my views. Personally I dont feel a child is a child until birth, so up until that point its just a thing. Means nothing. Thats my personal view. And it scars someone enough to have a child at that age. They shouldn't be allowed.

So you think a child shouldn't be allowed to live because the mother messed up?

[Sad]

As i've already stated, i dont believe it IS a child until birth. Therefore, you're not losing anything that ever was.

[Elfy]

Crossing over into the abortion topic 

I have strong views on this one so I'm gonna keep out of it cos I would probably end up offending someone

[Jezebel]

Crossing over into the abortion topic

I have strong views on this one so I'm gonna keep out of it cos I would probably end up offending someone

No no, please share your views...this is a debate board and we're hear to discuss both sides of the story.  You have views, whether you offend someone or not, but please, don't hold back just because you might offend someone...we're all allowed to speak on this board, whether some people like it or not.

I think abortion for someone under 16 is a bit extreme, but they do deserve some sort of punishment.  That's my view, and nothing can really change it.  We all have different views, no matter how extreme they are or not.

[Elfy]

Argh

But I don't want anyone to take anything I say personally (you know who you are). 

I don't think a law would ever be passed forcing under 16's into an abortion. What would be slightly more realistic would be to let them have the baby but then it would be put up for adoption or into foster care. That way it would be looked after by someone who would be in the right situation to bring up a child.
From my perspective as a Christian, abortion is wrong.That said, I can completely understand why people do it under some circumstances. I strongly believe that a foetus is a human being when it's heart begins to beat, which is 6 weeks gestation. Having had 2 kids myself I cannot understand how someone could abort a child which they have felt moving and growing inside them. Abortions after 12 weeks I think are sick, cruel and should not be allowed. I know one guy who's gf aborted their child at 20 weeks. At that stage with both of mine I could feel them move and had a bond with them. And there's no doubt that a child at that stage of development can feel pain.

As far as teenage pregnancy goes, sex education could be greatly improved. I remember in my year 10 sex ed basically all we got told was how to put a condom on a test tube.Nothing else that I remember, about pregnancy or STD's.
There should also be more emphasis on parents teaching their kids about sex. I know I'm going to tell mykids, cos I dont want either of them to make the same mistakes I made and end up having a kid at 18 or 19. As much as I love them with all my heart and soul I know it wasn't the ideal time to have kids, but in the end what's done is done and the best should be made out of a bad situation.
If an underage girl gives birth, the child should be given to a couple who are unable to have children.
That's the short story of my thoughts and opinions

[Charlotte xD]

If an underage girl gives birth, the child should be given to a couple who are unable to have children.

i think thats a bit harsh. if the girl wants to keep the baby she should be able to.
no one should be forced into doing anything

[Cuthien, Wolf-maiden]

If an underage girl gives birth, the child should be given to a couple who are unable to have children.

i think thats a bit harsh. if the girl wants to keep the baby she should be able to.
no one should be forced into doing anything

Well, if she wants to keep it and raise it, then go ahead.  But if she does not want the baby, why not give it up to a couple who are unable to have children?  That way, the real mother could have a normal life (as normal as possible), the baby would be in a loving home, and a man and woman would have a child whereas they otherwise would not.

[Elenwe]

They used to do that years ago...make the girl give the baby up for adoption...I think it's an awful thing to force upon someone. I think prevention is much better than cure. I agree that sex ed should be made compulsory throughout England but a more effective for of education to the one they have now

[Anarya]

I wouldn't say 'sex ed' is to blame concerning teenage pregnancy, I would have say its the general attitude people have towards sex. Our society still considers it a taboo subject. This is what makes it damaging and causes youngsters to 'rebel' in a sexual sense...they know what will happen if you have sex but they also want to find out more... This sadly results in girls as young as 12 having a child, which in my opinion is wrong because they are still a child etc but it happens. I've lived in Europe and the entire attitude to sex is so different, which may be why there are less teenage pregnancies. If British society can overcome this urge to drive sex underground and not to discuss it, then surely this would help ease the problem. Also, many of these youngsters live in areas where there is nothing to do bar having sex. I mean, if all you have is TV and school as highlights of entertainment then human instinct takes over. I agree with precautions etc, but sometimes that isn't always possible or the situation prevents it. I have been in a position of worry concerning pregnancy and I acknowledge it as my own fault but as I said sometimes, something takes over and there is a sense of irresponsibility. Regrettable of course. Therefore I don't think it is possible to blame one thing alone for Britain's high teenage pregnancies...it is a combination of factors which contribute to this ever growing problem. If the pill were available for younger teenagers and even the morning after pill, then maybe this will cut it down. To  be honest I don't think this would increase the rate of teenage sex, it would mean less teenagers are forced into a position of having an unwanted child. Those teenagers who are considering a child should get one of those robotic ones which gives them a real sense of 'motherhood and fatherhood'. Also, what about those adverts for little girls which advertise baby dolls? I'm sorry but isn't that encouraging young girls on a subconscious level to become mothers and therefore limiting their aims? Maybe many of these young girls feel that they need some form of responsibility and therefore opt to have children at a young age. If we can change this notion then maybe that will improve things...

I feel like I'm going off on a tangent now...but basically in a nut shell - one cannot blame one thing for teenage pregnancy, it is a variety of factors mainly society's reaction to it which causes problems

[Elenwe]

Yes I agree that the attitude of British society is also to blame. The morning after pill, which is effective for up to 72 hours by the way, and the Pill are available to under 16's and that's a fact!. You don't have to go to your own GP for it either and you don't have to have an adult present.

I still think that young girls don't realise the emotional and physical stress having a baby can have on them. I think they have a very romantic view of motherhood and that's what should be taught during sex ed, not just the physical aspects of sex. 

[Humiliated]

The three girls that were originally mentioned in this topic who have had kids under the age of 16 are obviously chavs. I mean, who on earth calls their child "Amani"?
Anyway, to be quite honest, I agree with Elfy. If the girl gives birth under the age of sixteen and doesn't have proper support etc, then the child should go to a couple who can look after it. I am not saying that the girl is immature or anything, just that she posibily won't have a job or security or even space at where she lives to look after it, will she? She may not be in a relationship either.
I know there are many, many women who have brought their children up on their own and I hold so much respect for those women. But they're mature, stable and are not under 16.

I think chav girls see getting pregnant as a way out of boredom or something. I find it shocking that people are doing it at 12. And yeah, every way of stopping getting pregnant is available to young people but do some people bother to take that? No.

[Anarya]

Yes, there are various means which stop pregnancy whether it be condoms or the pill, but sometimes it is the fear of that child to buy condoms or see a doctor etc....for some weird reason people see sex as 'dirty' or 'unconventional'....
This may be one of the reasons why it is difficult to prevent pregnancy...
However, as I said before, sometimes...this may sound really bad..but if there is a passionate scene etc sometimes logic is not present and then mistakes happen..
I think it would be wrong to believe that all teenage pregnancies are 'chavs', some of these people come from families which have issues and there may be underlying reasons why they chose to become mothers and fathers...

[Cuthien, Wolf-maiden]

Well, yeah, the girl may be looking for someone to replace her own father's love if they didn't have that.  But in some cases, the father of the baby will get out, having what he wanted, and leaving the girl pregnant.  That's the saddest part.  No sex until marriage is, in my personal opinion, the best way to go.

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