Teen Abortion Laws

Centain - posted on 12/18/2011

The idea that a prospective teen father, or any father for that matter, should have the legal rights to have a say in wether a woman has an abortion or not is insane and a vioation of her rights. Nobody has to right to have power over a womans decision to abort a baby or not. It doesnt matter if she is 13 or 30, it is HER body and nobody elses. If a man is granted rights in regard to pregnancy, what would you suggest these laws be? That if he wants the baby and she wants an abortion, that he will be legally able to force her to carry the baby and give birth? He would have the right to force something on a womans body that she does not want? How ridiculous, that is in the same category as rape.
If a female of any age can make the decision to have sex, then she can make her own decision about what she chooses to do with her own body.

Laura Zoey - posted on 01/20/2011

If you can't decide yet that you want a tattoo, or have a glass of wine, or wreck your lungs with a cigarette then you shouldn't be allowed to decide if your child lives or dies.
Now it also shouldn't be 100% choice of the parents! There needs to be some mandatory class or training or counselors in use to get teen and parents in agreement.
And the teen dad needs the same rights as the teen mom!
It's absolutely disturbing that a woman can kill a mans child without his knowledge or consent.
Before an abortion happens there really need to be consent of the mom, dad, and if the parents are still children then also needs to be consent by each set of parents!
Ending a babies life is serious, and permanent. And it shouldn't be left up to one teen girl to decide if the child lives or dies.

So essentially, we aren't in charge of our own bodies until we are 18, or 21, so before then, no the teen can not be in charge of what happens to her body. Not on her own. That's why you are still a child until 18.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 01/19/2011

My mom came with me to my first few doctor's appointments. I was really nervous. She waited outside during the actual exam, but there was nothing going on in my life that she didn't know about (at the time I wasn't even having sex). I had to have a cervical biopsy when I was 21 and she was with me for that procedure. It's definitely a tough question. If a child under 18 has emancipated themselves from their parents then I wouldn't expect a doctor to notify them. I don't think the parent should have to give consent, I guess, but they have the right to know.

Jenny - posted on 01/19/2011

I've been living on my own and supporting myself since I was 16. I can't imagine granting my parent the right to make decision about my uterus. Even if I was living at home, they doesn't own your body. It's the one single thing in this whole world that is actually yours and nobody has the right to take that from you. I am the type of parent to listen to my child and give advice for them to come to their own conclusions, It would never enter my mind that I have the right to make the decsion for them though. I don't do fascism.

LaCi - posted on 01/19/2011

I think that must depend on your location. You're only carded for meth supplies here, which are behind the counter. No one is carded for aspirin or common non-meth ingredient over the counter medications. And you definitely don't need to ask your parents to pick up your prescriptions. Granted, I don't shop at walmart so I have no idea what ridiculous rules they might have.



Are parents going to teens doctors appointments with them as well? This all seems incredibly overbearing.



The parents who talk to their children and who have the trust of their children have nothing to worry about.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 01/19/2011

Laci, you get carded for everything now. And I mean everything. Especially at WalMart. I got carded for buying cement glue ( I was in college). You get carded for most medicines, cough meds and sudafed, etc. Sally brings up a valid point.

Because I love my daughter and I am her mother it's my job to make sure she understands the consequences of such a hard decision (and being pregnant or having an abortion is a hard decision). I know not all parents are involved or their kids don't confide in them, but I pray that my daughter does. It would be so upsetting to find out later that she went through something like this alone and I would definitely want to be informed as her parent.

Louise - posted on 01/19/2011

I think this very much depends on which end of the teenage years the girl is. If we are talking about a 13 year old then I think the parents have a big role in the decision making because that little girl is a baby her self. If we are talking about a 17 year old then they know what is expected of them and that this is life altering decision for them, then the parent should take a back seat and talk them through all possibilities and give them guidance. Lets face it this is every parents nightmare and at the end of the day that child is not a child anymore when there pregnant and very frightened for there future. Becoming a mother for the first time is very scary for any woman no matter what the age and a teen has no idea what to expect.

LaCi - posted on 01/19/2011

"These girls can't get an aspirin without their parent's permission. Yet it's somehow okay for them to have surgery without their parents even knowing. That makes no sense to me."



Where the hell are you from? I bought my own medicine as a teen. My parents had zero idea what painkillers (or any other medication) I preferred. I also got my own birth control. My own antibiotics when I was ill. My parents didn't dictate my medical needs, I did, and my doctor when a prescription was required.

Cyndel - posted on 01/19/2011

we consider Teens untrustworthy with tobacco, alcohol, driving (which is strickly controled until 18), ect... Yet we consider them able to make this decision.My mother had an abortion at 16, she had no idea what was going on, only that she wouldn't be pregnant afterwards. It took her more then 20 years for her to come to terms with it and forgive herself. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into until it was too late to stop.

I've heard abortion stories from those who had them, mostly as teens, scared and not knowing they had other options, never having been told about adoption at anytime during the time given to decide. The horror and pain, the depression that took years to overcome. The lack of true information at the abortion clinics.

I have also fully read the planned parenthood web site, the was they present abortion is way glossed over and in no way prepares the girl for what is coming. They also gloss over the depression that comes on most women after abortion. The part that most don't speak about because it is culterally forbidden. The pain, the since of loss, the hole that never heals.

Most adult women aren't prepared for the experience, during and after an abortion. How can we possibly think that a teen is, who is already dealing with so much going through puberty and trying to become an adult in a world pushing them into adulthood early.

Personally I think, if you aren't ready for the responsibility of a child, don't have sex.



This doesn't include sever health problems from letting a pregnancy continue. This is just against abortion as a form of birth control, or because a child is inconvenient or embarrassing. There is adoption for those situations. Rape is also another issue I won't go into here. So don't argue the rape, or health issues I'm only talking about abortion in relation to, birth control, inconvenience or embarrassment.

Amber - posted on 01/19/2011

The problem with adding a third option of adoption to the mix, is that this debate is NOT over whether or not you should have an abortion. It is specifically asking whether or not a teen should be able to have the proceedure without parental consent or notification, or some mix of the two.

This is not really an abortion debate, but rather a debate over parental control over teenage abortion.

Cyndel - posted on 01/19/2011

So many who argue the abortion issue forget that there are three choices, not two. The choices aren't just abortion or keeping the child, there is a third option...adoption. There are thousands of couples who are infertile, desperately wanting a child. There are open adoptions where you receive pictures, letters, sometimes visits, depending on the birth mother and adoptive parents agreement, there are housing options if needed, medical care is paid for by adoption parents. Why is this wonderful option so often ignored or glossed over? Yes it is hard, harder then I can imagine to give up a child...but any harder then destroying that child's chance for life?
Just putting another viable option into the mix.

Johnny - posted on 01/18/2011

Sadly though, not all parent's actually have their child's best interests at heart. Lots of people out there think it is perfectly acceptable to place their needs and desires ahead of those of their children, no matter how huge the repercussions in their children's lives. Where I live, parent's are not allowed to refuse medical care for their children, and certainly should not be able to decide what their daughters will do with their bodies.

I was 16 when I first started the birth control pill. I wasn't sexually active, I was using it to control my menstruation, and my parents both knew about it. But I did have the option to keep it a secret, and I think that's great.

If I thought that the world was filled with good parents, I'd agree that they should know. But unfortunately, I think that there are far too many who will let their own whims, wants, and opinions get in the way of good health care and the right to choice of their daughters.

Sally - posted on 01/18/2011

These girls can't get an aspirin without their parent's permission. Yet it's somehow okay for them to have surgery without their parents even knowing. That makes no sense to me.

Lacye - posted on 01/18/2011

***Mod Warning***

Ladies can we please get back onto the original topic, the OP is about should teens have to have parents permission to get an abortion, if you would like to continue your discussion/ debate you are welcome to start a new thread. Thank-you for your co-operation.

Lacye
PD&HT Mod

Rebecca - posted on 01/18/2011

I think parent consent all the way. Although abortion is not a motion here. I believe in life at conception.

Holly - posted on 01/17/2011

Eh, the post with the stats was too long, difficult to read, and just plain annoying. I skipped it.



Also, I fail to see how "debating" abortion itself is actually relevant to the original topic of this thread: Parental consent and/or notification for teens to get abortions....

LaCi - posted on 01/17/2011

Maybe she thinks if she posts a thousand irrelevant statistics, one might come along that backs up whatever she's trying to say.

Sherri - posted on 01/17/2011

Not actually sure anymore what she is trying to prove??

LaCi - posted on 01/17/2011

there's no point in trying to reason with the unreasonable and illiterate.

Chatty - posted on 01/17/2011

I think I've heard it all now.... ABORTIONS ARE TRENDY? Seriously?

Conniemarie - posted on 01/17/2011

actually< several thing u posted support my opinion, How can a decision be taken so seriously if everyone is doing it? It's like a trend. Becoming more popular,
" there have been roughly 50 million abortions in the United States, and more than one-third of adult women are estimated to have had at least one."
"She contends that abortion-rights supporters tempt black women into abortion by suggesting they can’t afford to raise the child"
"“We’ve begun to depend on abortions,” Forney said. “We feel we have to choose between our unborn child and our born children.”
These r ur argument that people but the proper consideration on KILLING a child? I sounds like social pressures following whats popular. not actual consideration.
"Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion.[1] Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.[2]

Forty percent of pregnancies among white women, 69% among blacks and 54% among Hispanics are unintended.[1] In 2008, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million in 2000. However, between 2005 and 2008, the long-term decline in abortions stalled. From 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions occurred.[2]

Each year, two percent of women aged 15-44 have an abortion;[2] half have had at least one previous abortion.[6] At least half of American women will experience an unintended pregnancy by age 45[4], and, at current rates, about one-third will have had an abortion.[5]
"
Forty-six percent of women who have abortions had not used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Of these women, 33% had perceived themselves to be at low risk for pregnancy, 32% had had concerns about contraceptive methods, 26% had had unexpected sex and 1% had been forced to have sex.[8]

Eight percent of women who have abortions have never used a method of birth control...

About half of unintended pregnancies occur among the 11% of women who are at risk for unintended pregnancy but are not using contraceptives. Most of these women have practiced contraception in the past.[1,9]"
Does this really sound like responsibility? They DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO NOT GET PREGNANT!!!!! They knew they could just have an abortion if it did happen.
"Forty-two percent of providers offer very early abortions (even before the first missed period) and 95% offer abortion at eight weeks from the last menstrual period. Sixty-four percent of providers offer at least some second-trimester abortion services (13 weeks or later), and 23% offer abortion after 20 weeks. Only 11% of all abortion providers offer abortions at 24 weeks.[2]"
Women r aborting CHILDREN!!! Some of these fetuses can surviv•The abortion ratios by state ranged from a low of 43 abortions per 1,000 live births in Idaho to a high of 770 abortions per 1,000 live births in NYC (CDC). "

770 abortions to 1000 babies!!! I can not believe these decisions aren't made" on a whim... over latte..."
"•50% of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25; women aged 20-24 obtain 33% of all U.S. abortions and teenagers obtain 17% (AGI).
•Adolescents under 15 years obtained less than 1% of all abortions, but have the highest abortion ratio, 773 abortions for every 1,000 live births (CDC).
•47% of women who have abortions had at least one previous abortion (AGI).
•87% of abortions were known to have been performed by curettage (which includes dilatation and evacuation [D&E]). Most curetage abortions are suction procedures (CDC).
•40% of minors having an abortion report that neither of their parents knew about the abortion (AGI).
The Consequences of Roe v. Wade
49,551,703
Total Abortions since 1973"
data is actually incomplete as not all states participate and have complete data, meaning the number is much higher.
"There have been over 48 million abortions since 1973.

The annual number of abortions went from 744,600 in the first year of legalization, to a high of over 1.6 million in 1990. In 2003, there were 1,287,000.

There were over 3,500 abortions per day in 2003, 146 per hour, about one every 25 seconds.

For every 1,000 live births, there were 312 abortions in 2003.

There were more that 148,000 second and third trimester abortions in 2003.

In 2003, more children died from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars combined.

A 2004 survey of women seeking abortions indicated that only about 7% of women cited typical “hard cases” (rape, incest, or some health concern with either the baby or the mother) as the primary reason they were seeking abortion.

An April 2004 Zogby Poll found that 56% of respondents support legal abortion in only three or fewer circumstances: when the pregnancy results from rape or incest, or when it threatens the life of the mother.

At an average cost of $372, the abortion business is a $400 million a year industry.

Nearly half of all abortions are obtained by women who have already had at least one abortion.

Documentation and further details available on request from education@nrlc.org.
WASHINGTON -- Today, the landmark Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, passed by the Nebraska Legislature last April, will take effect. The first of its kind in the United States, Nebraska's law prohibits abortion after 20 weeks gestation based on emerging scientific evidence that 20 week old children can feel pain. "
If one really does the research, It is obvious to see that the decision to have an abortion is not taken as seriously as it should. and evidence displayed shows u that abortion is not being used as a "no other option", but as another form of birth control. This data is disturbing and should sicken people.








"

Johnny - posted on 01/16/2011

Definitions of genocide on the Web:



* systematic killing of a racial or cultural group

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn



* Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide



No matter how you feel about abortion, it is not the same thing as genocide. Unless one chooses to define fetuses as a "cultural group".



To assume that women choose abortion lightly is just that, an enormous assumption.



2008-01-18

NEW YORK — In American pop culture, the face of abortion is often a frightened teenager, nervously choosing to terminate an unexpected pregnancy. The numbers tell a far more complex story in which financial stress can play a pivotal role.



Half of the roughly 1.2 million U.S. women who have abortions each year are 25 or older. Only about 17 percent are teens. About 60 percent have given birth to least one child prior to getting an abortion.



A disproportionately high number are black or Hispanic. And regardless of race, high abortion rates are linked to hard times.



“It doesn’t just happen to young people, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with irresponsibility,” said Miriam Inocencio, president of Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island. “Women face years and years of reproductive life after they’ve completed their families, and they’re at risk of an unintended pregnancy that can create an economic strain.”



Who has abortions?

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate will soon be marking the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which established a nationwide right to abortion. Since Jan. 22, 1973, there have been roughly 50 million abortions in the United States, and more than one-third of adult women are estimated to have had at least one.



Who are these women?



Much of the public debate focuses on teens, as evidenced by the constant wranging over parental notification laws and movies like the current hit “Juno,” in which the pregnant heroine heads to an abortion clinic, then decides to have the baby.



In fact, the women come from virtually every demographic sector. But year after year the statistics reveal that black women and economically struggling women — who have above-average rates of unintended pregnancies — are far more likely than others to have abortions. About 13 percent of American women are black, yet new figures from the Centers for Disease Control show they account for 35 percent of the abortions.



Black anti-abortion activists depict this phenomenon in dire terms — “genocide” and “holocaust,” for example. But often the women getting the abortions say they act in the interests of children they already have.



“It wasn’t a hard decision for me to make, because I knew where I wanted to go in my life — I’ve never regretted it,” said Kimberly Mathias, 28, an African-American single mother from Missouri.



She had an abortion at 19, when she already raising a 2-year-old son.



“It wasn’t hard to realize I didn’t want another child at that time,” Mathias said. “I was trying to take care of the one I had, and going to college and working at the same time.”



She was able to graduate, now has an insurance job, and — still a single mother — has a 3-year-old son as well as her first-born, now 11.



'A silent killer'

By contrast, Alveda King, a niece of Martin Luther King Jr., calls herself a “reformed murderer” for undergoing two abortions when she was young.



Now an outspoken anti-abortion campaigner, King says the best way to reduce abortions among black women is to dissuade more of them from premarital sex.



“We give free sex education, free condoms, free birth control,” she complained. “That’s almost like permission to have free sex, and the higher the rate of sexual activity, the higher the rate of unintended pregnancy.”



Anti-abortion activist Day Gardner of the National Black Pro-Life Union says many blacks are unaware of their community’s high abortion rate.



“We don’t talk about it,” Gardner said. “It’s a silent killer among us.”



She contends that abortion-rights supporters tempt black women into abortion by suggesting they can’t afford to raise the child. But Gardner also acknowledges that some black women make this argument on their own.



“We had the whole civil rights movement — now we’re in a place where we’re moving further toward equality,” Gardner said. “So women think, ‘For once, I can see the American dream. I can have the house and the job, but it would postpone it to have another child. I can’t afford to take time off.’ ”



Dr. Vanessa Cullins, a black physician who is Planned Parenthood’s national vice president for medical affairs, said the allegations of “black genocide” do not help women meet day-to-day challenges.



“These actions take attention away from medically proven ways to reduce unintended pregnancy — comprehensive sex education, affordable birth control, and open and honest conversations about relationships,” she said



Looking beyond racial dividing lines, Cullins views the right to abortion as an important component in the ability of all American women to determine the right size for their family.



“Groups that become assimilated in U.S. culture and experience economic opportunities naturally decide to limit family size, because they want to take part in the American dream,” she said. “If you’re a single mother, achieving the dream is all the harder, so it makes sense to limit family size so you can shower as much support as you can on the children you have.”



Financial pressures

Georgette Forney, who had an abortion when she was 16 and is now an anti-abortion campaigner leading Anglicans for Life, says she often sees economic pressures triggering abortions, even in middle-class families.



“In one situation, the husband was adamant that they were on track to pay for their two sons’ college education, and a third child would throw off his whole calculation,” Forney recounted. “So that baby was aborted and that woman was devastated. It was a five-year process to recover.”



Forney said she also encountered a single mother who was worried she might lose custody of her daughter in light of a suit by the biological father. The woman then became pregnant, Forney said, and had an abortion in violation of her own beliefs because she feared having a second child would jeopardize prospects for keeping her daughter.



“We’ve begun to depend on abortions,” Forney said. “We feel we have to choose between our unborn child and our born children.”



Martha Girard, on the other hand, says she’s appalled by the notion that women should lose the right to choose.



A hospital ultrasound technician from Pleasant Prairie, Wis., and a mother of three, Girard had an abortion two years ago, at the age of 44, when she mistakenly thought she was too old to get pregnant.



Having been through three difficult pregnancies previously, and coping with a mentally disabled eldest son, she felt abortion was the prudent choice.



“I knew that this pregnancy would end up badly — I could feel it — and we’ve already got enough problems with the mentally ill son,” Girard said.



“I was very sad and depressed the first week,” she added. “But because it’s hard on you emotionally and some women regret it, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, that someone else should decide for you.”



The Journal of Family Issues published a report earlier this month asserting that women often choose abortion because of their wish to be good parents.



That means women who have no children want the conditions to be right when they do, and women who already are mothers want to care responsibly for their existing children, said the lead author, Rachel Jones, a researcher with the Guttmacher Institute.



“These women believed that it was more responsible to terminate a pregnancy than to have a child whose health and welfare could be in question,” Jones said.



Number of abortions declining

Even among many abortion opponents, the Guttmacher Institute — which supports abortion rights — is considered the nation’s best source of abortion statistics.



Flip Benham, director of Operation Save America, leads a group of anti-abortion supporters in prayer outside Jackson Women's Health Organization on July 15, 2006, in Jackson, Miss. More than one-third of adult American women are estimated to have had at least one abortion.



Federal statistics do not include California, the most populous state, because its government does not provide data. But Guttmacher researchers surveyed abortion providers there as well as in other states to produce the latest national estimate of 1.2 million abortions in 2005. That’s down from a peak of 1.6 million in 1990 but still represents more than 20 percent of all pregnancies.



One of the Guttmacher’s top researchers, Stanley Henshaw, said the recent drop may disguise the fact abortion rates remain relatively high for black and Hispanic women. He believes the most effective countermeasure would be wider availability of contraceptives such as intrauterine device, or IUDs, that don’t require attention as frequently as condoms or birth-control pills.



Though abortion is commonplace across the country, urban areas have far higher rates than rural areas where access to abortion providers can be difficult.



New York, New Jersey, California, Delaware, Nevada, Maryland and Florida had the highest abortion rates in 2005, according to the new Guttmacher report released this week. Wyoming, Idaho, Kentucky, South Dakota and Mississippi had the lowest rates — the latter two states have just a single abortion clinic in operation.



Susan Hill, founder of the National Women’s Health Organization that runs the remaining Mississippi clinic, says the statistics may not fully reflect a subgroup of relatively affluent women who obtain unreported abortions through their private doctors.



“In Mississippi, it’s the poor women who don’t have access to that who have to run through the maze of protesters screaming and yelling abuse,” Hill said. “Wealthier women can be more creative about their alternatives.”



According to Guttmacher data, the abortion rate among women living below the federal poverty level is more than four times higher that among women from middle-income and affluent households.



An increasing number of women avoid surgery by using the RU-486 abortion pill or other early medication — these now account for about 13 percent of all abortions.



Of all U.S. women getting abortions, about 54 percent are doing so for the first time, while one-fifth have had at least two previous abortions. Of those over 20, the majority have attended college. Almost a third have been married at some point. About 60 percent have at least one child; one-third have two or more.



“I don’t think most people understand that these are women who have families, who are making a very serious decision about their reproductive health,” said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “The stereotype is that the decision is made lightly. It is not.”



© 2010 The Associated Press





It doesn't sound like a bunch of people sitting around deciding on a whim to abort their baby over a latte with friends, does it?

Conniemarie - posted on 01/16/2011

I u ur point. I don't think everyone will ever agree, I just wish such an extreme measure of genocide was used like the seriousness it is. Taking a life should have more concequences.
Again, I understand the importance to hace it available, but I think it is used way too lightly.

Erin - posted on 01/16/2011

Ummm... I'm pretty sure most pro-choicers believe that a foetus becomes a baby (with all the rights of a person) once it can reasonably be expected to survive outside of the womb. At 8 months gestation, that would certainly classify :-/



This is the problem with this debate. It gets so extreme and irrational with people reaching to prove their point. When the truth is, people will never agree on this.

Conniemarie - posted on 01/16/2011

point blank, to kill and remove a fetus, u have to slice off the limbs and decapitate it, then it is basically sucked out of u with a sergial vaccum. pretty much the same way that a dead fetus would be if u needed it removed. I know several people who have had abortions and they were not given the options to be put under. It is costly and has a higher rate of fatality.
And yes, the spred of herpies IS irresponsible. U wouldn't be getting it if u knew who u weeere with and they cared about it. There are meny defects that can affect a fetus in both growth and during birth. U can't have a natueal birth unell u risk the child going blind from the exposure. So I think that is pretty serious.
Having an aborting ( in most cases) is an easy way out. No pregnancy, no baby, no reason to change how u lead ur life. owning up to a mistake is doing the right thing. Killing a child because it is inconvient is absurd and sad to think so meny take it so lightly. it is not just "tissue". It is a life, fragile and beautiful. No matter the circumstances it was made under. I was raped in college and still, I couldn't have done an abortin. Our society has so meny issues, and thinking like this, that takes the sacredness from life. We r just creating monsters. Because of abotion being so readily accepted, a fetus has lost more and more rights.
What if u were 8 months pregnant, and someone stabbed u in the stomach. Killing ur child. In ur view, then that life u saw, named, felt within u, was just some "tissue". and they face nothing more than an assult charge, cause, a fetus has no rights. It's not a person, right?

Tabitha - posted on 01/16/2011

Just to put in my 2 cents here. I think some people are seriously misinformed by a teenagers ability to determine the long term affects to making a wrong decision. Phycologically and medically speaking most teenagers do not have the brain maturity to realize that having sex=getting pregnant=having an abortion/raising a baby. They are very impulsive and often cannot associate a negative action with a negative consequence.It has nothing to do with maturity and everything to do with the abilities and maturation of the brain.Keep that in mind when you believe that a teenager is "mature" enough to handle a severe life changing decision.

Rebecca - posted on 01/16/2011

@Julianne -- even in schools where abstinence only is taught, a significant portion of those kids are still having sex (and, in schools where abstinence only is taught, those kids are much less likely to use birth control than schools where comprehensive programs are taught). I went to Catholic school for 12 years and can tell you that, despite a comprehensive human sexuality program where abstinence was emphasized, at least 50% of the kids were having sex by the time I graduated from high school (and that was 20 years ago). So I don’t think teaching “morals” won’t reduce the teen abortion rates. Plus, that runs into major issues of whose version of "morals" the schools should be teaching. Personally, I'm not opposed to premarital sex and won't be teaching my kids to wait until marriage to have sex. Some parents would want their kids to be taught no sex until marriage. So whose morals are you going to have the schools teach?

LaCi - posted on 01/15/2011

Uhm. Since herpes is sneaky, and is not prevented with condoms, I wouldn't call the spread of herpes irresponsible, I'd call it inevitable. I'm pretty sure it's going to continue to skyrocket. And, although the thought of herpes makes me itch, much like other rashy things, I'm pretty sure it's not that big of a freakin' deal. Same goes for most STIs. Not a big deal.



As for the issue of abortion in the same comment, it seems terribly contradictory to say that aborting is not owning up to a mistake, and yet, in the same paragraph, say teen mothers have taken the easy way out, what exactly was the point of that paragraph?



And there has always been a choice as to whether you do or don't have a baby. the rich could always afford abortions, there have always been "herbal" abortions, and if it weren't legal now women would just be squirting draino up their bits and jumping off bridges if they couldn't find a way to kill it. Either way you've got a dead fucking fetus. Or, there another path *Back in the good ol' days!* We could hide our pregnant daughters away and when she has the baby, dump it in the woods as wolf food. You know, exposure, one of the ways we used to get rid of mistakes.





"anastesa is numbing the pain, nnot being but under. do u know what they actually do? it's graphic and scares u. I have been to the clinics first hand, "



As for that statement, I'm not sure what kind of back alley abortions you've been watching, but I really think you need to read up on the methods by which abortion can be performed.

Julianne - posted on 01/14/2011

I think with the way sex ed is taught in school, they should be teaching morals too. They just teach children about the sex, stds and whatnot. They don't teach you that it should done at an age when you are mentally ready to take on the responsibility of having a child. My sister got pregnant on the pill using a condom and then took the morning after pill two days later. So i have a nephew now :) I know, that's a rarity to use 3 forms of birth control and still have a child, the point is, even if you take all the proper precautions, you can still get pregnant, and if the educational board is going to teach our children how to have sex, teach them why its best to wait. Also teach them about protection, its a small section, it should be HUGE. That way, maybe teen abortion rates can go down. Its a shame a child life is ended because of irresponsibility, but still, if a teen wanted to have an abortion, her parents shouldnt be able to force her to go through with the pregnancy, its infringing on the teens rights as a human to be in control of her own body and life.

Julianne - posted on 01/14/2011

1 in 3 people is a high amount....that would suck so bad...LOL

Sherri - posted on 01/14/2011

Actually Anesthetic also can mean being put under and it is a girls right to request to be put under to have the procedure done. Kids are kids and even with the best information and watchful parents they will do things they shouldn't. Why? because they are still kids and they think that it will never happen to them. If it were to happen to my child I would try and support them as best I could. I would also try and convince them they were to young depending on age to be a proper parent. If they wanted an abortion I would bring them, hold their hand and comfort them through it.

Would I hold it over their head forever more No. Why because I wouldn't want someone doing that to me. Our children should always know we will be their and will support them even when they make a terrible mistake. I love my children unconditionally and they will always know this above all else.

Conniemarie - posted on 01/14/2011

killing someone because you made a mistake is not owning up to it!!!! and u wouldnt be "compelled" to do anything if u weren't in the situation to begin with. And actually, most foster homes and parents are quite nice. the children couldnt be abused if the case workers really followed up to prevent it. I was a teenager not so long ago, if I had gotten prego cause I was stupid, then I would have to deal with it. The reason there r so meny teen moms now is a reflection that the can take an easy route and not b responsible. and did u know that almost 1 in 3 people have herpies now as young adults!!! what does that tellu, IRRESPONSIBLE. there was less of this back then because there was no choice but to have a baby. reguardless of weather or not they kept it.
can u honestly look @ our youth and society and not c that things went terrible wrong somewhere?
YES, SOME CASES MAY NEED TO ABORT, BUT VAST MAJORITY DON'T.

Nikkole - posted on 01/14/2011

I hope that my children will come to me with anything but i know that as a teenager you don't always want to come to your mom with problems but i am going to teach my children safe sex im going to tell them it is soo much better to wait till your out of high school to even start having sex that they need to focous on making good grades (for college), graduating,and having fun with there friends! I started having sex at 14 my mom never talked about sex but i wish i would have waited it was a lot of responsibility even tho we used birth control it was always in teh back of my mind could i be pregnant? BUT by ME being smart and being on the pill AND using condoms we continued to have sex for 4yrs till we decided to try for our first! I think if more parents were involved in there kids life's and more open then there would be less teen pregnancy's

Toni - posted on 01/14/2011

Conniemarie you make me want to defend abortion and I am pro-life!

Adoption is an option for a few people but for the majority they cannot carry a baby, give birth to it and then give it away, just like that, so for them it may be an option but isn't necessarily the best option. Also the adoption/ foster systems are already full to the overflow with children waiting to be adopted, it means that although yes the babies would most likely be adopted straight away due to there being waiting lists for babies these children get pushed even further back and won't have any escape from the system until they reach 18, by which time most of them are incredibly screwed up.

Instead of just shouting adopt why don't we educate our children about sex and how to keep themselves protected against accidents so we can limit the number of teen pregnancies, rather than just condemn them? Let's not forget teenagers may sometimes do adult acts but that does not make them adults!

Rebecca - posted on 01/14/2011

If having sex means you made your choice at parenthood, doesn't it stand to reason that adoption is not an option either? That the mom and dad must be COMPELLED to raise that child? Sounds like a fabulous policy to me...
Having an abortion is owning up to your choice to have sex by making a choice not to continue a pregnancy when you don't have to.

Conniemarie - posted on 01/14/2011

anastesa is numbing the pain, nnot being but under. do u know what they actually do? it's graphic and scares u. I have been to the clinics first hand, I was there for the recover of the women. yes, foster parents can be horrific too, but @ least there is a chance @ life. I believe u made ur choice of parenthood when u decided to have sex. I wouldn't want my daughter to have to give a child up, or abort, but if she tought she was grown enough to play with the big dogs, then she has to pay her dues. This may be harsh but so is reality.
I hope that my children have the sense to be responsible enough to NOT end up in the situation to begin with.
There is plently of birth control out there.They want to play adult games, they should be responsible like one should be.
And yes, i did state their r exceptions, but for the most part, own up to ur choices!!!!

Sherri - posted on 01/14/2011

Actually Conniemarie most clinics now offer anesthesia and if they don't if you prefer anesthesia you will be referred to a location where general anesthesia is an option.

I would never force my child to have a baby if she wasn't ready and adoption not an option in my opinion I have 1st hand seen what happens to some of those adopted children that supposedly got a good life.

Conniemarie - posted on 01/14/2011

to christina, I agree. but would the teen make the choice to have an abortion if that ment she was on her own as an adult afterward? If u make an adult decision, then u should have to live ur life as one. In most cases, it was recklessness that lead to that situation. What about adoption?

Conniemarie - posted on 01/14/2011

I believe abortion is wrong. I can understand some circumstances where is a nessisary option. I think a woman does have the right to her body, yet I think she made her choice when she did the deed knowing the potential repercussions.
There is no other time in life where we can take back what is done. I think this should be no different.
A teen girl is a little different, but I think she should have to have an adult consent. If not a parent then her attending doctor. Abortion may seem like an easy way out of a situation but the experience is horrific and will most likely haunt her. The patient is fully awake and aware during the process and when she realizes exactly how this was done and if would see what the "tissue" removed is. It just isn't that simple.
adoption is a much better alternative if keeping it is not an option. I know several couples who would be overjoyed to have a baby to adopt.

Erin - posted on 01/13/2011

Kelly, yes that makes more sense! Thanks for clarifying.

Danielle - posted on 01/13/2011

Another thing I'd like to mention...not all teen mom's are bad, and not all are good. I know 4 personally and 2 are NOT good parents, and 2 are (even the 1 w/money problems so that's no excuse). Whether your a good parent or not depends on you! Also, 2 of them are married (1 good mom and 1 bad mom) so that doesn't really matter either...just saying. I am happily married and we dated for 4 years before getting married (been married over a year), so please don't assume anything about me.

Danielle - posted on 01/13/2011

As a young mom myself (I'm 21 now and preg w/my second (had first at 19)) I kinda know the situation that a teen mom would be in. I think that the teen should discuss it with her parents and partner (if he cares), but it's HER choice...as long as she doesn't wait too long-but that's another topic. If I had gotten pregnant the first time-at 17-then I would have talked about it w/my dad (single parent household), but it would have been my decision (I would have chosen to keep it because I don't believe in abortion unless I was raped or something). If the teen doesn't feel comfortable talking to her parent(s), then I agree that SOMEONE (judge) should know-but it's still the teen's choice. It's better than doing what one woman I know did (she was 25+) and not have ANY prenatal care during her pregnancy..she couldn't decide whether to have the abortion or not and continued to drink the entire preg and didn't take any vitamins or anything.

*Amber N* Yes. I would hope that my son and daughter to be would tell me if something like this happened and they needed any kind of major surgery, but in the end if they need it done, then they need it done. Also, some parents aren't good parents (no matter their age), so it might be best that they don't know. I know some religions (no offense to anyone) where they believe that what ever happened to you was [their] God's choice and you shouldn't go against it-even cancer. So, if a parent of this religion had a child/teen w/cancer, they would do nothing to help their child/teen-and I don't believe that's right. In this case I would say that the child/teen has every right to get treatment w/out consent. Just my opinion though.

Kelly - posted on 01/13/2011

Okay, for all of you who think I assumed too much in my post. I should probably have worded it differently, but I was very tired and in a hurry.



I did not mean to imply that ALL teens who end up facing abortion have parents that they could not talk to about the situation. I used the word "Probably" but realize now it may not have been strong enough.

The fact is that MOST teens who end up facing abortion WITHOUT having told their parents, do not have parents who would help them through the decision. If the parents were supportive in the first place, forcing the kid to notify them would be a non-issue because she would have already told them; they would likely be there with her.

In cases where the teen has to be forced to tell her parents, it can be assumed that the parents are probably not the best people to help her though the situation. Does that make more sense?

Brandi - posted on 01/13/2011

I don't support parental consent or notification laws. I do think if a teen wants an abortion, they should be able to bring an adult with them just in case. For example, a school counselor, a teacher, etc etc. Someone who can support them before and after.

Christina - posted on 01/13/2011

IMO, if the state allows the minor to keep custody of her child without her parents being granted guardianship of their grandchild, then the minor should be allowed to obtain an abortion without consent of any kind. I keep hearing that you don't think that teenage girls are mature enough to consent to abortion alone, yet we then expect these teenage girls (who choose to parent) to give up their childhood and be a GOOD mom! If you are legally able to be a parent, then you should legally be able to consent to abortion on your own.

Erin - posted on 01/12/2011

Jessica, although you are right that, technically, under 14s require parental consent, there are still legal options that can be utilised in consultation with the girl's doctor and the court.

@ Kelly, you are assuming a hell of a lot in your post. So because a teenage girl has an unplanned pregnancy her parents are unengaged and ill-equipped to assist or support her through it?

Jessica - posted on 01/12/2011

In Australia if you're under 14 you need your parents consent. You can legally have sex here at 16. I think it shouldnt so much be consent but the parents need to be made aware of the situation. What if the girl has a disorder that the drs really need to know about but she doesnt realise its important? I've never had an abortion but I imagine it isn't pleasant and it might be nice to have some support. I guess it depends on how your relationship is with your parents and their beliefs that make the situation a bit difficult sometimes

Amber - posted on 01/12/2011

@ Sherri~ I wasn't talking about death during the proceedure. I'm talking about aftercare. If the woman starts bleeding, gets an infection, has mood changes, or becomes depressed. These can all seriously affect the health of that woman.
But as I stated before, requiring after care would be a reasonable way to get around the need to notify parents.

Sherri - posted on 01/12/2011

A parent can teach a child about consequences, birth control and have an open relationship and still have a teen who ends up pregnant Kelly.

@Amber actually Abortion, when legally performed in developed countries, is among the safest procedures in medicine. In such settings, risk of maternal death is between 0.2–1.2 per 100,000 procedures.In comparison, by 1996, mortality from childbirth in developed countries was 11 times greater
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion

Kelly - posted on 01/12/2011

Honestly, I'm torn. On the one hand, if the teen really did "understood what she was doing" and was capable of making such a life changing decision on her own and understanding the consequences, she would not have gotten pregnant in the first place. Sorry, but I just can't fathom that someone too immature to understand that sex can lead to pregnancy can see far enough forward to examine the emotional consequences of an abortion.

Also, if we allow teens to have this surgery without parental consent, what is to stop them from having other surgeries, such as breast implants or cosmetic facial surgeries without parental consent? Would you want your child to be able to permanently alter their body without consent? The are both rather life changing procedures.



So while for those reasons, I support parental consent, I also have to say that teens who find themselves in situations where they are considering abortion alone, probably do not have the best parents to open up to about that subject. If the parent had taught the child to think through to the consequences of sex, or had open conversations about birth control, the teen probably would not be pregnant. Lacking such foresight themselves, i doubt the parent would be capable of helping the teen with this decision, and thus the teen may be better off making the decision alone....