No Easy Decision

As we discussed in class, many people are involved in a teen mother’s decisions on parenting and even on whether or not to even have the child. In many states the parents of the teen has just as much say if not the final word on whether their teen can start the adoption process or have an abortion. The age at which teens are getting pregnant puts a financial strain on the entire family especially if the teen is still allowed to stay with his/her parents. In this case the financial strain is put directly on the parents of the teen if not all the responsibility. Therefore should parents have a determining vote on their child’s decision?  

On the other hand, when there is a pregnant teenager who has not been relying on his/her parents for a while. Or who has grown up in the orphanage system with an assigned guardian that they maybe see three times a year. In that case who has the right to have a determining vote on what she/he should do with their child? Should they have to go to a court to plead for their independence when they maybe financially independent?

In Markai’s case (as far as we know) she didn’t have to have permission from anyone but she voluntarily asked her friends and family for advice. I believe taking multiple opinions from family and friends is a great way to explore your options.  Although when everyone is against the decision you think is best for you and your child, shouldn’t you have the final say?

At what point does a guardians influence or permission cross the line? Are teens totally incapable of making their own decisions?

Brief outline of abortion laws:

http://pregnancy.adoption.com/pregnant/laws-regarding-abortion.html


Kristi H.

Uninformed Teen Moms

The topic of many of our blogs has been about how teens are uninformed.  The film "The Business Of Being Born" showed us that teens aren't the only misinformed moms and moms-to-be out there.  We have all watched episodes of teen mom where young women receive pitocin and epidurals but none of them are shown researching these drugs.  We have also seen the episodes where the doctors are not even present until right before birth.  I don't know about the rest of you but I certainly cleared up a lot of misconceptions this week.  Here are a couple of backup references to support the class reading and film:

1) http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/breast_bottle_feeding.html
This article talks about breastfeeding vs. formula but one of the first lines says that breastfeeding is better for the baby.

2) http://www.firsttimepregnancy.com/262.html
This article looks at the location selection for birth.  Just as in the film, this web site says that avoiding interventions is extremely difficult in hospitals and most of the people entering and leaving the room are strangers.

My real question is: why is the show 16 & pregnant not highlighting these important issues?  Is this kind of information not as important as showing the relationship between teen mom and dad?  Is a conversation about what type of birth control that the teens used/didn't use more important than one about how to raise the child?  These questions are never-ending in my head, what do you think?

Megan Z

Choice

Choice...

There are so many different facets to the word. What I think of when I hear the word choice is women and thier lack of choice with issues pertaining to thier bodies. As we have learned in class and through the readings there are very little choice when it comes to pregnany, birthing, and the raising of a child. Due to the medicalaztion of womens bodies, and the public nature in which pregnancy in general is framed, women have very little choice in matters dealing with thier own bodies.

Our need to police other people's actions and bodies in problematic, and in my opinion, is a systamatic way to take choice away from wome. Why you ask me? When we take reproductive choice away from people, women are disproportionatly affected. Thier bodies are directly involved, yet their bodies are completely removed. When choice is taken away from ways to parent, when we begin to ascribe a value system to parenting, we disproportionalty disadvatage women. Since women are considered in society to be the primary caregivers, removing thier choice from child rearing creates a higherarchy of parents, and allows us to justify the sterilization of women of color and poor women.

A large portion of choice, especialy dealing with the topic specific to our class, is reproductive choice. In my mind that means allowing women, and thier partners, to explore all options when they find out they are pregnant. It is also being able to persue any options without the fear of stigma and issues of ligality. Choice is also being able to reveive affordable health care, including well women exams. Right now we have a war going on agaist women and choice.

http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/get-involved/2011-congressional-attacks-womens-health-care-1024.htm

Certain conservative groups are fighting to remove federal funding to Planned Parenthood. As of right now Planned Parenthood is able to provide health care to women, men and children at a sliding scale, and often times for free. This is choice. Abortions, while in my opinion are a vital part to womens choice, only make up 3% of the services provided to PP and are not federally funded due to previos legislation passed. The removal of federal funding to PP would do nothing but force PP to stop providing free and low cost health care. This is a war on women and a war on choice.

https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pp_ppol_ws_I_Stand_with_PP

Brittany W.

Marriage & Family

Marriage and family play such a significant roll throughout a child's life. Family is the primary institution where a child learns and develops his or her morals, personality, and character. A healthy marriage of two partners will provide a more secure and stable environment for a child. However, most teen relationships aren't even the most committed relationships; and definitely not stable enough to endure the challenges of raising a child.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbDLoh7bEVM&feature=related

Marriage should definitely not be the solution to handling teen pregnancy, because most of the time the male may only stick around "for the baby's sake," as stated by Andrew (In Janelle's episode). Although, today's society is more egalitarian, men are still expected to be the provider for the child. However, the completion of education is a main obstacle for a teen parent to overcome. Without a degree it is much more difficult for the mother or father to obtain a decent job and provide for their child. Let alone, both, the mother and father, of the child would face a consistent struggle trying to juggle his or her social life with the responsibility of motherhood and fatherhood. And to top things off, young men face the obstacle and "need" to defend his masculinity; through flaunting is level of status, power, and control (examples: girls, money, cars, clothes, etc.).

I feel that the comparison the Tyra Banks made with the band-aid can easily related to this. By two teens marrying, as result of a pregnancy, is like putting a band-aid over a gun wound; it only covers the initial issue, but doesn't cure it. Eventually, the wound will only get bigger and make matters worse.

Not to say that a family is only possible through marriage, I feel that as long as both parents are able to tolerate one another for the sake of the child, the better choice is to not get married. 

Portia K.