Teen Pregnancies

OnyxBat · 02-11-2011, 06:05 PM

Since teen pregnancies is one of the US main issues I just wanted to get one point clear and would like some responses to this. What has made teen pregnancy such a bad thing when like a good few decays ago it was alright to be expecting at a younger age. Is it because of the rights that women have earned?, is it the irresponsibility of the present generation?, or is it because of our advance skills that will guarantee a higher rate of children to live to be adult (if you know that back then you could have nine kids and expect to only have at least 3-5 survive to be adults)?.

Note, I do not endorse teen pregnancy, I am just asking out of curiosity.

ape descendant · 02-11-2011, 06:41 PM

Actually, about the turn of the last century the acceptable marriage age for women was 18-21. Pre-marital pregnancy was highly frowned upon.

Teenage girls are generally neither fully grown physically or fully developed mentally. Babies of teenage mothers tend to have low birth weight and both mother and child are more likely to experience complications during the pregnancy.

I don't think I even want to start on the educational and economic reasons against being a teenage mommy.

korinna5555 · 02-11-2011, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ape descendant

Babies of teenage mothers tend to have low birth weight and both mother and child are more likely to experience complications during the pregnancy.

This is true of any pregnancy that lacks prenatal care.
The only reason LBW and complications occur more often with teenaged mothers is because of lack of or less than adequate prenatal care.

As far as educational or economic disadvantages.. it's all in how much support you have. Age of the parent does not reflect parenting ability in and of itself.

Mr.Doobie · 02-11-2011, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnyxBat

What has made teen pregnancy such a bad thing when like a good few decays ago it was alright to be expecting at a younger age.

What makes racism such a bad thing when a good few decades ago it was socially acceptable to tell black people that they had to go around the back to come in their store?

Just sayin'.

$haDe · 02-11-2011, 07:53 PM

What the heck ?!

It's the same reason I can totally impale you on a stake up your ass and burn you alive...... back then.

A self-explained answer would be 'adultery is outdated'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnyxBat

is it the irresponsibility of the present generation?

Of course, I'm to be blamed too. I didn't go around impregnated girls and milfs.

CallMeDeth · 02-11-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnyxBat

Since teen pregnancies is one of the US main issues I just wanted to get one point clear and would like some responses to this. What has made teen pregnancy such a bad thing when like a good few decays ago it was alright to be expecting at a younger age. Is it because of the rights that women have earned?, is it the irresponsibility of the present generation?, or is it because of our advance skills that will guarantee a higher rate of children to live to be adult (if you know that back then you could have nine kids and expect to only have at least 3-5 survive to be adults)?.

Note, I do not endorse teen pregnancy, I am just asking out of curiosity.

What time period are you referring to exactly? The middle ages? I'm fairly sure that in American culture, it's never really been too acceptable. At least I would think so since America was originally founded as a colony by the Puritans who decided that England wasn't religious enough. So, if you're talking about America specifically, the answer is that it never really was. If you're talking about the middle ages when people were married between the ages of 14 and 18, then I guess that makes sense, but then our knowledge of medicine and the educational system have both improved immeasurably since then.

korinna5555 · 02-11-2011, 08:19 PM

My great-grandmother (who was married) gave birth to my grandfather at 14. I think he was born in 1930. This was not uncommon.

Quote:

By 1960, nearly one-third of American females had their first child before reaching age twenty.

Source

Saya · 02-11-2011, 08:57 PM

That had a lot to do with women getting married earlier too, because it was all a woman was supposed to be, was wife and mother. The Feminine Mystique came out, what, 1959? She visits schools and all the girls are there to meet husbands, not study.

Premarital pregnancies were still very frowned upon. My grandmother had my mom when she was 17, and the father didn't want anything to do with her, so mom was adopted by her grandparents. No one said a word to her that her "sister" was her mother and her mom was her grandmother until after her grand mom died. Its still regarded as a scandal out home, no one even told me, I had to overhear it.

It isn't desirable to have teen pregnancies, it greatly impedes your studies, you ability to go on to post-secondary education, your ability to work, and your social life, its a lot of shit for a teenager to go through. It was more okay ages ago when popping out babies was the norm and you had no career, but the times have changed.

Fruitbat · 02-12-2011, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnyxBat

Since teen pregnancies is one of the US main issues I just wanted to get one point clear and would like some responses to this. What has made teen pregnancy such a bad thing when like a good few decays ago it was alright to be expecting at a younger age. Is it because of the rights that women have earned?, is it the irresponsibility of the present generation?, or is it because of our advance skills that will guarantee a higher rate of children to live to be adult (if you know that back then you could have nine kids and expect to only have at least 3-5 survive to be adults)?.

Note, I do not endorse teen pregnancy, I am just asking out of curiosity.

Hmm... Maybe it is because teenagers are not considered to have experienced life fully enough to be adequate parents? Or is it because legal age for sex is something around 18?

Perhaps it is because those who have had children know how friggin' hard work it is to raise children and they look at teen mothers and think "man you should really be enjoying your teenage years, not raising kids."

Onyx - society is different than it was in our grandparent's generation. You can buy condoms anywhere, sex education is, in general, better. The Pill gave women the 'power' over their reproductive cycle, so now women don't have children - in general- until their 30's.

Fertility treatments allow women into ther late 40's to have kids, so there is no rush anymore to pop out a couple of babies.

If you want to compare it back to grandparent's time, then you also need to compare the stigma that was attached to teenage mothers.

They were often shipped off to relatives, their children were farmed off to older siblings to bring up et al. The women lost the opportunity to continue their education. It was really quite cruel.

The women slip up once, and they pay for it for life, while the guys would just go off and find another willing girl. (some guys, not all).

At least now there are support programs to help teenage mother's get an education (well there are in Oz).

Random thoughts.. I'm exhausted... sorry hun.

Pineapple_Juice · 02-13-2011, 05:01 PM

Not that I'm the best source for this, but I think given all the ways in which it is possible to prevent pregnancy nowadays, if you still get unintentionally knocked up you're either too dumb to raise a kid anyway, or else way too unlucky.

Saya · 02-13-2011, 05:27 PM

There's no birth control thats 100% effective, taking your pill one day with food and then taking your pill the next day with no food can fuck it up.

korinna5555 · 02-13-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saya

There's no birth control thats 100% effective

A hysterectomy.

Saya · 02-13-2011, 08:02 PM

A doctor will not give a teenager one. Hell its hard to get one if you're under forty. I can't even find someone willing to give me an IUD.

korinna5555 · 02-13-2011, 08:05 PM

I'm aware of that.. I was being facetious. D:

You could always just be a lesbian. Or celibate, and invest in a really nice "personal massager". THINK OF THE MONEY YOU'D SAVE, NOT HAVING TO BUY BC.

Saya · 02-13-2011, 08:11 PM

You can pry my love for dick from my cold, dead hands.

korinna5555 · 02-13-2011, 08:23 PM

*INSERT necrophilia joke*

Fruitbat · 02-14-2011, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saya

A doctor will not give a teenager one. Hell its hard to get one if you're under forty. I can't even find someone willing to give me an IUD.

Get your tubes tied, ain't no way you will have a baby then.. unlike vacetomies (spel?)

Saya · 02-14-2011, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fruitbat

Get your tubes tied, ain't no way you will have a baby then.. unlike vacetomies (spel?)

They won't give young women those either XD

Interestingly enough, IUDs are more effective.

Solumina · 02-14-2011, 06:27 AM

Some of use aren't allowed to have IUDs, stupid genetic predisposition to various reproductive problems *pout*

Saya · 02-14-2011, 07:01 AM

Oh shit.

You know what kinda scares me? I have no clue who my biological grandfather is. What if he has a lot of scary genetic disorders?

Solumina · 02-14-2011, 07:36 AM

Most lady bits problems don't skip generations and are usually passed through women so you should be okay in that department. Just make sure that your doctor knows that you don't have any family history for him so that possible genetic disorders aren't ruled out.

Pineapple_Juice · 02-14-2011, 08:52 AM

I gots me a Paragard! Then again, I'm not a teen.

Saya · 02-14-2011, 11:03 AM

Lucky! I heard there's a new doctor at Planned Parenthood who might be okay with giving it to young women, so I have to look into whether my insurance would cover a mirena.

Does the paragard hurt? I'm kinda afraid of that one because I don't want intense cramps ever after >.<

honeythorn · 02-14-2011, 02:08 PM

I've already informed everyone that I seriously want cash for my 30th birthday. The only present I want is the ability to privately pay for and have a sterilisation . Since the fucking cunts at the NHS seem to be under the severely mistaken impression that they know my own mind better than I do, it's the only option left to me .

This implant has been fine but I dislike the fact it wears out and has to be replaced every 3 years. I don't trust the little shit.

Pineapple_Juice · 02-14-2011, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saya

Lucky! I heard there's a new doctor at Planned Parenthood who might be okay with giving it to young women, so I have to look into whether my insurance would cover a mirena.

Does the paragard hurt? I'm kinda afraid of that one because I don't want intense cramps ever after >.<

It hurts when they put it in because they have to dilate your cervix to stick the tube in. Then the paragard gets pushed through the tube. It feels the same as a really bad cramp or contraction. Kind of made me clench my b-hole because it felt like I had to take a dump really REALLY bad. Then there is moderate cramping afterwards as your cervix returns to its original state.

I really like not having to worry about it. Every week or so I check to make sure the strings are still in place. The only drawbacks are that most people report longer, heavier periods for a while-er, and also most women report excessive discharge. Not like BV stank cooter, just more fluid. The doc told me to wait it out for 6 months and however it was at the end of the 6 months was likely what it would be like for as long as I had it in. I'm taking a probiotic supplement and hoping that will curb it a little. Sorry for the TMI.