Teen Pregnancy disscussion/debate; The Sun Website

[jenna]

I really hate it when people go on about teens being 'dirty' or 'slappers' when they get pregnant. Is it because there young and people just think it must have been a mistake? Theres people in there 20's 30's 40's who accidently get pregnant, Just didnt think it would happen to them, didnt think to use a condom!

Also just because your young doesnt mean your going to be a bad parent and get no where in life. Iv privatly rented since i was 16, got married, worked at building a life for myself, got myself a stable job. Every one said to me that i would be divorced in a few months and get nowhere and that i had an 'imature attitude to life'!! I dont understand why young people are all seen as stupid and no matter what choices they make in life its ALWAYS wrong! I get people tutting at me when they find i got married at 16, even though im still happily married and to me it was the best thing iv ever done. For some reason people think its just a silly crush and one day ill regret it (WTF? ) How old do i have to be until people will realise that it was the right choice for me?

Having a baby isnt the end of your life, its the start of a new way of life. Some people choose to adapt there life to being a good parent, some dont but it has nothing to do with age.

Wasnt it on the news a while ago that the government was worried about older people having kids? Cant make there minds up can they

 

[zebrastripes]

Anyway,I don't know how the Sun can validate itself,half their readers are probably on benefits themselves If they have such a problem with teenagers getting pregnant they shouldn't put half naked 18 year olds on page 3 should they??

 

[Freya]

My honest opinion about teen mums is that it is a shame for them to have babies that young because they haven't had chance to live their life yet!

Having children is hard, financially and emotionally at any age. I definately could not have coped wiht children in my teens. I do think teenangers should be discouraged as 'why the rush' just because normally older mums will have had a chance to get a job and a bit more security.

That said each to their own and I know plenty of older mums who struggle emotionally.

 

[Squiglet]

That said each to their own and I know plenty of older mums who struggle emotionally.

my mother was in her late 30`s when she had me... and in her 40's when she adopted my brother and sister.

Although both my parents had good jobs, they still struggled financially... and by the time I was in my teens my mum had suffered from two strokes and I became the main carer in my household at just 14. Its hard looking after kids as a teenager... and I had help with the care through hired nurses etc.

Its why I promised myself I wouldn't have any more kids beyond 32 as I refuse to increase the risk of getting sick or ill and have to have my kid care for me. Also the increased risk of having a baby with a form of disability.

That's my personal choice dictated by my personal experiences though not what is true for the rest of the world. Under 18 is too young and over 32 is too old for me but I won't look down on people who choose to get pregnant above or below those ages... I just think the really young mum's (under 16) loose out on a lot of irresponsibility of that age that makes you value and view the world you live in, in a completely different way.

 

[Steelgoddess]

Another point is the fact that although teen mothers may cost the government money,more money is actually spent on IVF on the NHS.

I think they are in two separate caterories hon, more money might be spent on IVF but without that some women who have been trying for years upon end without success to get pregnant and cannot afford the £3,000 it normally takes to do it...

(P.s this isnt a gripe its just a point i wanted to make )
x

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I think a lot of you will think differently when your own daughters become teenagers themselves, you tend to look at things differently then. I know I do and would be gutted if my eldest, now 15, got pregnant so young.

It is an undeniable fact that there are more unplanned pregnancies among teenagers then there are in other age brackets, and that IS a problem. If a young couple are mature enough to choose to have a baby so young than fair enough, that's their right to make that choice, but unfortunately its not the norm which is something that needs to be addressed in our society. Yes there are as many brilliant young parents out there as there are hopeless ones, and its unfortunate they all get tarred with the same brush, but nothing will change unless people accept the reality that unplanned teenage pregnancy is a major problem in this country.

I was a mother at 17 myself so I understand how it forces you to grow up, how it completely changes your life in such unexpected ways, and while I would never wish my daughter wasn't here, I know realistically that it would have been better to wait a few more years, at least until I had finished being a child myself.

 

[Freya]

I couldn't agree more GGG! I want my children (a girl and boy) to have choices to make about their future at 18 - not to be responsible for a child.

I would not swap having my children and althought they are the best thing that happened to me, they are the best thing because they are an extension of my life - not my life (I probably haven't explained that very well).


My husband is dutch and they have the lowest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe. Maybe because they are more liberal and open. I don't know but I agree something needs to be done.

 

[zebrastripes]

nr

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

lol, not everyone having IVF is an older woman who has left it too late!!!!!

Im assuming you didnt mean it like that

 

[zebrastripes]

lol, not everyone having IVF is an older woman who has left it too late!!!!!

Im assuming you didnt mean it like that

no not at all,and don't get me wrong,I don't have a problem with people having IVF,but I know some people think that older women having it should suck it up because they've left it too late which is completely unfair,but I was using it to draw comparisons with the teen-mothers-are-spongers idea

 

[libs]

Another point is the fact that although teen mothers may cost the government money,more money is actually spent on IVF on the NHS.

I think they are in two separate caterories hon, more money might be spent on IVF but without that some women who have been trying for years upon end without success to get pregnant and cannot afford the £3,000 it normally takes to do it...

(P.s this isnt a gripe its just a point i wanted to make )
x

Oh I know,personally I think IVF is fantastic,I mean,it enables women who 50 years ago would have been childless to have children,what could be better than that?

My point was that these people who begrudge us sponging,lazy teenage mothers the money to buy our children nappies,should simply look at the bigger picture,which is that if they are going to accuse us young mothers of sponging off the government,shouldn't they also be having a go at the older mothers who have left it too long or something,and need IVF?Of course neither accusation is fair,I was just using it as an example

How do you know more money is spent on IVF on the NHS than it takes to support all teen mums in the UK? That would surprise me - most IVF treatments are tightly controlled (and not for older women who have left it too long) and strictly limited. I would be surprised if they cost more than year on year welfare bill?

 

[zebrastripes]

I read it in the Guardian one day and I was actually quite suprised too,but I asked my midwife about it and she said that she thought it was because quite a lot of benefits go unclaimed

 

[libs]

I read it in the Guardian one day and I was actually quite suprised too,but I asked my midwife about it and she said that she thought it was because quite a lot of benefits go unclaimed

well each round of IVF costs around what, 3k to 8k depending on area/care. And most women now are only entitled to one round. Housing benefit, single parent benefit, income support, council tax benefit etc add up to more than that within a few months for each person claiming. I don't see how that can work? And maybe I'm cynical and I live in an area with high teen pregnancy rates, but I'm pretty certain that no benefits go unclaimed around here

 

[littlepip]

Like kimbo said how young is TO young???

My nan had my mum when she was 21 and my mum had me when she was 21 and i will be 21 when i have my little one and i could'nt ask for a better mum and im sure my mum would say the same about her's!! I agree there are some teen's (13-15) who go out and get pregnant and just see it as a ticket to stay home and get benefits but the majority are'nt like that at all!!
Some young mother's don't have there family to fall back on or help them, dont they undertsand how hard it is to go back to college or work without anyone else's help?? BUT a LOT of them do! .I will be claiming benefits after my little one is born but ill still go back to work the end of next year and anyway ive paid a lot of taxes in the last 5 years ive been working! and ill continue to pay taxes after i go back to work!!

 

[zebrastripes]

nr

 

[zebrastripes]

nr

 

[libs]

then you get a LOT less than the young women I work with

 

[zebrastripes]

It's probably because I'm under 18 and I'm living at home.

 

[tinkerbell*]

OMFG!
i read quite alot of that... but had to stop as it just annoyed me! some people are so bloody rude and arogant, i really cant believe some of thoso people comments

 

[Freya]

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