WTF: Pregnant at 10 years

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34195973

Pregnant at 10 and abortion's not an option



Earlier this year, a 10-year-old girl in Paraguay made headlines when she arrived at a hospital 20 weeks pregnant. But this was not a one-off case. Last year, more than 700 girls aged 14 and younger gave birth in this South American nation of seven million people.

At the Casa Rosa Maria in Paraguay's capital, Asuncion, the kitchen is full of chattering girls preparing food to celebrate the 13th birthday of a new resident - a girl who is five months pregnant. Nine of them live at this spacious mother-and-baby home run by the local Catholic Church. It's a joyful place that echoes with the sound of teenage laughter, scampering toddlers and gurgling babies.

In the kitchen in a stripy jumper and jeans, rocking her hefty-looking one-year-old son on a hip that's hardly there, is Perla. She is 12. Perla was raped by her brother when she was 10, and became a mother at 11.

Perla's one of 200 girls who have passed through the doors of the Casa Rosa Maria, some as young as nine.

"When they are so young and they are plucked from ordinary family life and brought here, it can be very hard for them," says Cilsa Vera, who is in charge. "But we give them good health care, clothing and food, and they adapt very quickly."



That was certainly the case with Mercedes. Now 17, she became pregnant at 12 after being raped by her stepfather. Arriving at the Casa Rosa Maria was a huge relief.

"When I lived in the country at home, my life was terrible," she says. "Everything was so much better when I got here to Asuncion. Now I want to study cookery, finish my schooling and go to university. I want the best for my daughter, and I never want her to experience what I went through."

At the Casa Rosa Maria all the girls are encouraged to study so they can get a job to support their children.

According to Paraguay's Ministry of Health, 704 girls aged 14 and younger gave birth last year - about two each day. But the real figure could be higher - data collection is unreliable, especially in far-flung communities, some of them many hours by road from Asuncion, the capital.

"The numbers are increasing year on year, so this is a problem that's getting worse," says Mirtha Rivarola from the UNFPA, the UN's Population Fund. "It's an alarming situation. For a 10-year-old who becomes a mother, her life trajectory is going to be limited. We're losing too many precious lives for the future."

In England and Wales, with a population of 57 million, eight times greater than Paraguay's, there were 1,378 conceptions by girls aged 14 and younger in 2013. Abortion is legal in the UK, so the majority of these pregnancies ended in termination. In Paraguay however, abortion is only allowed if a mother's life is deemed to be in danger.

Ten-year-old Mainumby became front-page news in April. She first complained of stomach ache in January. Her mother took her to various clinics, but the pain continued. Three months later, a hospital doctor had the presence of mind to give the child a scan, and she was found to be 20 weeks pregnant.

The alleged abuser, Mainumby's stepfather, was taken into custody while the courts await the results of a DNA test that will prove paternity. Media interest in the case ratcheted up when her mother was arrested as an accessory to the abuse, imprisoned for two months and not allowed to see her daughter.

Amnesty International campaigned for Mainumby to be allowed to have an abortion, and a group of United Nations human rights experts criticised Paraguay. But the authorities were unmoved.

"The psychological evaluations Mainumby underwent showed she was a happy girl - a girl without any problems," says Paraguay's Health Minister, Dr Antonio Barrios. "And the only option left open to us, because the girl's life was not in danger, was to continue with the pregnancy."

Mainumby has since given birth to a baby girl. But some Paraguayans think the government gambled with her health - pregnancy is much riskier for a girl or teenager than it is for an adult woman.


Rest of article can be found at http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34195973

[DurzoBlint1]

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

[sleepertercel]

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

You issa ass or a marble?

Allyuh subhuman intellect does jump out plenty yes.

[daas]

They're mostly on the general election thread. Thank god

[88sins]

DurzoBlint1 boi close yuh ass & let ppl think yuh intelligent nah

[Habit7]

So a 10 year old girl got taken advantage of...so we murder an unborn child?

Killing foetuses not only doesn't resolve the problem, it is murder.

[neexis]

So a 10 year old girl got taken advantage of...so we murder an unborn child?

Killing foetuses not only doesn't resolve the problem, it is murder.

And what about the health concerns of a 10 year old mother?

What kind of life do you expect that baby will have?

I think it would be cruel in both cases not to abort.

[daas]

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

Rasc second account?

[Habit7]

So a 10 year old girl got taken advantage of...so we murder an unborn child?

Killing foetuses not only doesn't resolve the problem, it is murder.

And what about the health concerns of a 10 year old mother?

What kind of life do you expect that baby will have?

I think it would be cruel in both cases not to abort.

If we are concerned about health concerns of her, they won't arise in a health pregnancy. However an abortion would be more deleterious because it increases the risk of complication with further pregnancies.

Perceived quality of life does not allow for the taking of an innocent child's life. If we found a drug addict with a 2 year old should we kill the child?

There are other solutions rather than abortion, notwithstanding preventions and prosecutions of those involved.

[Slartibartfast]

Shouldn't the mother also have some input in the decision?

There are some that will keep the child no matter what and find fulfillment in bringing up the child regardless of what struggles they have to go through. On the other hand there are those that may see the child as a constant reminder of the assault that they went through. They may see missed opportunities from having to care for the child as being punishment for something bad that happened to them.

Also, all pregnancies carry some level of risk. Certain factors can increase the level of risk. Habit are you certain that childbirth is not more risky for a pre-teen girl than it is for a fully matured woman?

Now to your example with the 2 year old and the drug addict. The question I want to ask (just to clarify your stance) is "At what point after having sex do you consider the it a living human being?" I know it sounds cold but I'm just curious.

Also, what if the "other solutions" are not readily available?

[DurzoBlint1]

DurzoBlint1 boi close yuh ass & let ppl think yuh intelligent nah

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

You issa ass or a marble?

Allyuh subhuman intellect does jump out plenty yes.

So a 10 year old girl got taken advantage of...so we murder an unborn child?

Killing foetuses not only doesn't resolve the problem, it is murder.

DurzoBlint1 boi close yuh ass & let ppl think yuh intelligent nah

Ah doh tink allyuh understand what ah trying to say. Ah not sayin kill anybody. What am saying is that a step father or mother should not live wit step children. It causes many problems in society. We can see it everyday. Jus look at the news how many cases of incest and rape and broken families. I seein it wit mih own neighbor. It is a fact. If certain people can't deal wit it (because maybe dey in d same situation) dey entitled to dey opinion. But these crimes against children and women will continue as long as such destructive social phenomenon continue. As for the lion ting I was jus tryin to make a comparison to show how family structures work in nature. Even the animals have a heirarchy (want of a better word) which they maintain in their family.

[RBphoto]

Poor child. Raped, then have to mind the rapist child. Abortion would have given her a better path in life. Whoever says different is a fool.

[sleepertercel]

So you saying proximity to the children caused that? Why not juss say that is the mother fault, cos she didn't have the foresight to turn the chirren outta de house. Or even is de chile fault cos she coulda find somewhere to stay where she wouldn't get rape?

You appear dumber with every letter you type.

[88sins]

Ah doh tink allyuh understand what ah trying to say. Ah not sayin kill anybody. What am saying is that a step father or mother should not live wit step children. It causes many problems in society. We can see it everyday. Jus look at the news how many cases of incest and rape and broken families. I seein it wit mih own neighbor. It is a fact. If certain people can't deal wit it (because maybe dey in d same situation) dey entitled to dey opinion. But these crimes against children and women will continue as long as such destructive social phenomenon continue. As for the lion ting I was jus tryin to make a comparison to show how family structures work in nature. Even the animals have a heirarchy (want of a better word) which they maintain in their family.

Better yuh jus say certain ppl have predatory tendencies & are not to be trusted around children that are not their offspring. But then those same ppl shouldn't be trusted around their own children either cuz in all likelihood they go end up doing the same ting anyway, just to their own children.
It have some sick lil boys out here posin as big men & plenty lil girls posin as big women that either don't know how to make them out for what they are or don't mind sacrificing the child for whatever bs reason. Mature responsible adult males don't ever do dem kinda crap. I know real fellas that mindin a next man child like is them own & they not in dat sheit. Usually the perpetrators in these types of scenarios are extremely adept at concealing their true nature & the only evidence there is to find is a lil girl wit a big belly or a lil boy wit a wrecked rectum long after the deed is done.
only way to completely & effectively stop that would be to stop ppl with children engaging in cohabitational relationships with men that aren't the kids father. & that in itself is another failure.

this kinda behaviour is practically impossible to stop/prevent. cuz d offenders are the only ones that could stop it. all society could do it try to find effective deterrents, & the levels of effectiveness will always be subjective.

[DVSTT]

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

Access to the internet should be predicated on IQ levels to prevent persons like you.

[RBphoto]

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

Access to the internet should be predicated on IQ levels to prevent persons like you.

Or at least limit bandwidth.

[Slartibartfast]

We should be like lions. If you ever noticed in those wildlife documentaries lions kill offspring from another father when they conquer a pride. So i'm not saying we kill children from another father but that whenever one gets involve with a woman who has children for another man those children should live apart from the step whoever. They are both a threat to the authority of the step parent as well as bad for that relationship.

Access to the internet should be predicated on IQ levels to prevent persons like you.

Or at least limit bandwidth.

Yeah to text only websites... wait...

[RBphoto]

I find anybody complaining about abortions should have a vagina.. or have someone carve one out for them.

[Habit7]

I find anybody complaining about abortions should have a vagina.. or have someone carve one out for them.

Wow arguments have genders now?

So if bring a forward a pro-life woman, won't you logic be destroyed?

[Slartibartfast]

I think he is saying that the opinions that matter most are the opinions of those that are most affected by the event. I don't see how a pro-life woman would destroy this logic. Maybe you can elaborate.

[Habit7]

This not a matter of opinions. A girl is raped by a deviant man... so we kill the innocent child? That is wrong. Abortion is the elective ending of a life. The child can be adopted, the rapist can be prosecuted, the mother can be counselled. But killing the innocent child in womb, The child is receiving the worst treatment in all of this. You don't have to be a woman to see that any more than you have to be a Jew to say the Holocaust was wrong.

But hey you guys live in world of no moral absolutes, so it is possible in your world a 10 year old having sex with anybody can be right. In fact, in another thread you accuse a supernatural being of murdering innocent children yet you excuse the murdering of the most innocent of all children in this case.

But I guess if I was a woman you would agree with me and say abortion is wrong, ent?

[ismithx]

and have a little girl go through the trauma of carrying a child that their body neither mind is not yet ready for? pls make sense

[Habit7]

and have a little girl go through the trauma of carrying a child that their body neither mind is not yet ready for? pls make sense

So if a mother realises her mind and her body not ready for her 2yo, should she kill it?

[ismithx]

and have a little girl go through the trauma of carrying a child that their body neither mind is not yet ready for? pls make sense

So if a mother realises her mind and her body not ready for her 2yo, should she kill it?

we talking basic biology and psychology here. what you talking about is a different scenario

[Habit7]

The context of the OP, a 10yo delivered a healthy child. If a pregnancy has to be terminated for the health of the mother, doctors do all they can to secure the health of the mother first, this not an abortion. An abortion is an elective birth control procedure that results in the death and removal of a fetus.

In fact an abortion can damage a female future hope of having subsequent future pregnancies.

In a rape prosecute the rapist, don't kill the child.

[88sins]

so Habit7 i have a lil hypothetical question fuh yuh
suppose for arguments sake a 10 y.o. is raped & subsequently gets pregnant and carries the fetus to term and while at the hospital giving birth either she or the newborn or the both of them dies during or just before childbirth. if the girl dies, the child is an orphhaned product of rape. if the child dies the girl may not be able to handle the physical or psyhological ordeal and suffer negative effects as such. if both die then its just a waste of life all around and the victim of abuse only struggled through a pregnancy that would have reminded her of her ordeal from start to bitter end.

my question is which of those scenarios would be the most acceptable to you personally.

[Ted_v2]

A 10 year old girl cannot make a child. The body isn't developed and the girl and the child would die

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

A 10 year old girl cannot make a child. The body isn't developed and the girl and the child would die

In the article it says she had the child successfully.
What basis do you say both would die?

[Slartibartfast]

This not a matter of opinions. A girl is raped by a deviant man... so we kill the innocent child? That is wrong. Abortion is the elective ending of a life. The child can be adopted, the rapist can be prosecuted, the mother can be counselled. But killing the innocent child in womb, The child is receiving the worst treatment in all of this. You don't have to be a woman to see that any more than you have to be a Jew to say the Holocaust was wrong.

But hey you guys live in world of no moral absolutes, so it is possible in your world a 10 year old having sex with anybody can be right. In fact, in another thread you accuse a supernatural being of murdering innocent children yet you excuse the murdering of the most innocent of all children in this case.

But I guess if I was a woman you would agree with me and say abortion is wrong, ent?

You guessed wrong. If you were the woman that had to make the decision I would simply say that in the situation your opinion matters more than mine because you must live with the consequences.

Now I think we both agree that killing an innocent child for absolutely no reason is wrong. What I want to know is at what stage of the pregnancy do you consider the being a child and why? I agree with a lot of what you have said but I feel we may differ here.

[Habit7]

@88ins

If a pregnancy has to be terminated for the health of the mother, doctors do all they can to secure the health of the mother first, this not an abortion. An abortion is an elective birth control procedure that results in the death and removal of a fetus.

@Slartibartfast
If you truly believe that murdering innocent children are wrong, people's opinion and consequence won't matter. Stage of development is not an issue, murdering a 3yo is no different than an 11yo. Life begins at conception, a zygote is considered totipotent meaning it has all it needs to develop into a human being.