Teens at U.S. high school made pact to get pregnant

[tracy]

My husband was almost 30, with two little kids, and even then they were reluctant. The only reason they agreed was my wonderful combo of pseudotumor cerebri, and fibromyalgia. If I had been healthy, they wouldn't have let him make that choice so young.

I can sort of understand why they are reluctant, but I also think it's a little arrogant and paternalistic. They aren't the ones who will have to deal with the unwanted pregnancy should it occur. My brother is 31 with 2 kids and had to argue with his doctor to get it done too. For someone without kids, forget it.

 

[karrie]

I can sort of understand why they are reluctant, but I also think it's a little arrogant and paternalistic. They aren't the ones who will have to deal with the unwanted pregnancy should it occur. My brother is 31 with 2 kids and had to argue with his doctor to get it done too. For someone without kids, forget it.

What I find arrogant is that I'd have had to take hubby with me if *I* wanted it done. Not sure how it works elsewhere, but where I was living then, it had to be a couple's decision or the docs wouldn't do it, whereas, hubby didn't need me.

 

[tracy]

WOW! Trust me, a doc with that kind of policy could get into a lot of trouble!

 

[karrie]

WOW! Trust me, a doc with that kind of policy could get into a lot of trouble!

I was living in a small town, run by a group of South African doctors who fancied themselves missionaries. I had more than one major issue with their patronizing ways, and they'd gang up too, so, switching docs didn't even help. There were lots of complaints about that lot.

 

[Praxius]

Just a technical problem with that rant: you would be hardpressed to find a doctor who will surgically sterilize you when you're young and haven't had kids. A friend of mine is turning 35 this year and her doc still won't do it. A 15 year old isn't mature enough to make a lot of those decisions properly. I would be very interested in seeing how the fathers are dealt with. Will the state actually go after them for child support?

Oh you know I'd fight that till the bitter end. I'm 28 and if I want my nard detached, I'll damn well get er done. If a 12 year old girl or whoever, whenever can get a sex change, I sure as hell have every right to make the mature decision to have a vasectomy. It's not his body he's cutting.

Not that I want one at the moment, but I sure as hell don't need a doctor to give me some shrink advice on what I should and shouldn't be doing with my life and my body.

Quick Robin! To the Courts!!

 

[Praxius]

Oh by the way.... The story was a hoax.

I didn't make it up obviously, but just on the National, they had some teachers in an announcement claiming they pressed the principle further with details of when and who, etc. and apparently he clammed up, lost his memory or something and they figure it was a hoax for some reason.

I'll find a source:

 

[Praxius]

Mayor: No evidence pregnancy pact is real

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/06/23/pregnancy.pact.ap/index.html

GLOUCESTER, Massachusetts (AP) -- The city's mayor said Monday there is no evidence a group of girls made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together, seeking to dispel an explosive theory put forth by the high school principal.

"Any planned blood-oath bond to become pregnant -- there is absolutely no evidence of," Mayor Carolyn Kirk said Monday after a closed-door meeting with city, school and health leaders.

Conspicuously absent from that meeting was Gloucester High School Principal Joseph Sullivan, who has not responded to repeated requests for comment after he was quoted last week in a Time magazine story saying the girls planned to get pregnant together.

The mayor, who also sits on the school committee, said she was not comfortable having Sullivan at the meeting.

Kirk cited privacy concerns in refusing to answer many questions about the 17 girls who became pregnant this school year -- more than quadruple the number who generally become pregnant as the school.

Kirk said she and Superintendent Christopher Farmer have been in touch with Sullivan, and that he was "foggy in his memory" about how he came to believe there was a pact.

"When pressed, his memory failed," Kirk said.

Authorities have talked to school and health officials who work most closely with the children and, Kirk said, "The people that worked with the children on a daily basis have said there has been no mention whatsoever of a pact."

Kirk said the spike in pregnancies is in keeping with similar spikes in other cities.

Farmer said there was a "distinct possibility" that the girls who found themselves in similar, challenging situations later decided to "come together for mutual support."

He said the Time magazine piece did not distinguish between "a pact to become pregnant or a pact because we are pregnant."

Farmer also said it was clear some of the girls were not trying very hard not to become pregnant. The principal had said some girls gave high-fives and planned baby showers while others were sullen if their pregnancy tests at the high school clinic came back negative.

Farmer defended Sullivan saying, "I don't believe anyone has acted in particularly bad faith here."

Sorry, it wasn't a teacher who was saying this, it was the Mayor it seems. I stand corrected.

 

[Risus]

The school principal has gone into hiding...

 

[tracy]

Oh you know I'd fight that till the bitter end. I'm 28 and if I want my nard detached, I'll damn well get er done. If a 12 year old girl or whoever, whenever can get a sex change, I sure as hell have every right to make the mature decision to have a vasectomy. It's not his body he's cutting.

Not that I want one at the moment, but I sure as hell don't need a doctor to give me some shrink advice on what I should and shouldn't be doing with my life and my body.

The courts have nothing to do with it. A doctor is under no obligation to grant you a vasectomy. They can't be forced to do it, anymore than they can be forced to perform an abortion. It's an elective procedure and you are free to go elsewhere to get it done. That's the theory anyways. In reality, you'll have a VERY hard time finding anyone to get it done, so it's all but impossible.

 

[tracy]

I don't think whether there was a pact or not really matters. The problem is that they're pregnant.

 

[Praxius]

The courts have nothing to do with it. A doctor is under no obligation to grant you a vasectomy. They can't be forced to do it, anymore than they can be forced to perform an abortion. It's an elective procedure and you are free to go elsewhere to get it done. That's the theory anyways. In reality, you'll have a VERY hard time finding anyone to get it done, so it's all but impossible.

Doctor's oath is to do no harm.... and if I have to go and do it myself because no other doctor will do a very simple procedure because they don't think I'm old enough to make that decision, then I guess I'll just have to wing it myself and then they can deal with me in the Emergency when they have to treat my infected testicles.

 

[Praxius]

I don't think whether there was a pact or not really matters. The problem is that they're pregnant.

Actually the problem now is where the hell did the principle go and why did he lie..... since now it appears the whole thing was a hoax.

 

[MikeyDB]

Maybe Americans need something to practise their moral outrage on.... It isn't enough that they won't consider moral outrage when they know that their government lied them into an invasion.... Selective morality and selective outrage.....

"I'm an American....and I'm OK....

I drink all night and I screw all day....."

 

[thomaska]

Maybe Americans need something to practise their moral outrage on.... It isn't enough that they won't consider moral outrage when they know that their government lied them into an invasion.... Selective morality and selective outrage.....

"I'm an American....and I'm OK....

I drink all night and I screw all day....."

Ah, here you are again in an "America doesn't matter" post...

 

[MissAnnika]

too bad, those girls could have gone to college and started a career instead. u can still do those things, but its much harder with a baby. i blame the media, there is so much bad influence with that, like looks and money and sex, and impressionable teens like to copy those bad influences.

 

[MissAnnika]

"I'm an American....and I'm OK....

I drink all night and I screw all day....."

i agree with u that a vast majority of the U.S. is like that. not to b arrogant, but i feel as if i dont fall into what u feel is the "typical american" not every1 lives up to their national sterotypes.
i am an american, and i am ok, but not because i am american.....