Is Abortion Really That Bad?

Hello Ladies! 

I realize everyone is on spring break but I decided to get on the blog and vent. 

Since being in this class, I have heard a lot of feedback from all different types of people with all different backgrounds and experiences. After doing the exercise in class from two weeks ago with Marilyn, I noticed that the majority of our discussion class would keep a baby if they were pregnant today. I think that is great and support anyone that is willing to do so. 

However, when I was partnered in the exercise, I didn't even have to think twice about what I would have done if I were pregnant. My partner and I decided that the best thing for us to do was to get an abortion. Before I bud heads with anyone, I want to let you know why I would choose this route in the long run. Being a broadcast journalism major, my goals and dreams are HUGE. If i was pregnant today, this would set me back in the career I want to pursue. You don't see many reporters/anchors pregnant, and therefore, I would choose an abortion solely because my dreams and aspirations of becoming a sideline reporter are huge. If my career were different, I would definitely consider adoption. 

After doing some research on abortion, I found out that there are different methods for an abortion. One is the abortion pill and the other is the in clinic abortion. Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old. If you are pregnant, you have options. If you are trying to decide if abortion is the right choice for you, you probably have many things to think about like myself. 

People who disagree with abortions, in my opinion have obviously never been in a situation where they've had to seriously consider it. Think of all the young women who go through the trauma of rape, only to find out that they are pregnant to their perpetrator. To many of them is causes even more trauma to go through with the pregnancy and then looking at the child every day only to have it bring back memories of the rape (I will admit that some mothers do go through with these rape-related pregnancies). YES the child within the mother is a life BUT what about our lives??? Does anyone stop to think how it will affect the mother??? The mother would want to move on and better her life after something as horrible as this happening to her- not hold it back even further. Even with young girls who accidentally fall pregnant... are they really fit to raise children? They should have the right to abortion. Some people say that if they can't raise the baby by themselves they should just adopt out... But what about the months of schooling they miss out on, and the social awkwardness they will feel upon return. A lot of people will say this is why young people shouldn't be having sex... But I say they are doing it, they will do it, and they will not stop because you say and neither will teen pregnancies. I do not agree on using abortion merely as a form of contraception... But I do believe that how our lives are going to be affected should be taken into account...

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion-4260.asp

-Olivia Arns

What is prenatal care?

Hello ladies! Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous weather...hoping it stays this way!!!

Going off this weeks discussion I decided to reflect back on everything we have learned about prenatal care so far. At first, I wasn't too familiar with all the work that goes into prenatal care while carrying a child. To me, it's almost scary knowing everything you have to do in order to have a successful healthy pregnancy.

What I have learned so far is that prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care. Doctors can spot health problems early when they see mothers regularly. This allows doctors to treat them early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others. Doctors also can talk to pregnant women about things they can do to give their unborn babies a healthy start to life.

The thing that worries me is with all of these teenage mothers out there getting pregnant do you think they are getting the proper prenatal care they need for themselves and their child? Take the mothers on teen mom, all of the pregnancies on the show have seemed to produce healthy babies (besides one of Leah's twins). However, with some of the behaviors of the individuals on the show, such as Jenelle, it's hard for me to believe that all the mothers stopped drinking and smoking. In addition, do you think they all started to eat healthy, take vitamins, and stopped tanning? My guess is no.

The story of the matter is, prenatal care is SO important. Even if you can't afford the proper treatment, there are many places that can provide financial aid. Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice, and other services important for a healthy pregnancy.

I hope prenatal care continues to be educate everyone. The lives of these children are in their mothers hands, not their own. By staying healthy, and following the guidelines necessary to have a healthy pregnancy, we can all produce healthy children. As far as teen mom, I am rather surprised they haven't shown a pregnancy gone wrong yet. I know it would be depressing but I am sure it happens a lot. Not every teenager is completely responsible, and I am sure there are quite a few who don't take prenatal care seriously. 

For tips on prenatal care...

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/prenatal-care.cfm#b

-Olivia Arns

Choice?

I'm having a little trouble expanding on the general thoughts I've had on this week's topic, so how'sabout I begin a discussion?
One of this week's readings on the importance of the role of ambivalence in making a decision made me think: In the case pregnancy/reproductive choice/etc., is a decision ever really yours as an individual?  Does that choice really belong to you?
After considering the myriad of elements that influence or even make or break the choice in question, is the outcome of that decision really in your best interest, or in the best interest of all the other contributing factors (which, consequently, can either make your life easier or much more difficult).  Obviously choice is essential, and I'm incredibly grateful for the options I have, but in my opinion, the decisions we make with these given choices in regards to abortion/adoption/childbearing/parenting are much more about appeasing everyone but ourselves as a way to lessen excess, unnecessary pressures and stresses. Let me know what you think!

-Maddie Byrne

Teens and Abusive Relationships/ Violence

Sorry this is very last minute…I had no idea who was going to post the next blog.  I knew I was after Clare, but Kristen was skipped.  O well, It doesn’t matter. 

So I really kind of wanted to focus on the violence portion of class we had today with the guest speaker.  I think most teens and young adults know what abuse is, however when they are being abused they do not know they are.  They ignore it to try to focus on the bliss of being in a relationship.  But if you have to suffer, than why be in it?  I have had a few friends who have been verbally and physically abused by past boyfriends, yet they still stayed with them.  When I ask them why, it is usually because they think that they are doing something wrong.  (By the way, all of my friends that were abused were girls) So they try to “fix” themselves, but nothing is wrong with them.  It is really just sad to watch.  I think the only instance of physical violence on teen mom, which I can think of at the moment, was Gary and Amber.  I think their case was unique in the fact that Gary was abused.  But I also think that Amber was psycho and blamed Gary for everything wrong in her life.  I don’t know, that’s just my take.  I think (as we talked about in the last blog) that violence should be a very important focus when talking about sex and relationships.  Teens at a young age need to be taught these things so they don’t have to suffer through abuse. 

In one of the videos in class today (I can’t remember her name) the girl broke up with her boyfriend, and then he sent her a text saying that he was going to kill himself if she left him.  That has never happened to me personally, but I have had friends (mostly girls) come to me for advice on what to do.  The first thing I want to say is to dump the crazy.  If they threaten to hurt themselves, and you stay in the relationship, who’s to say they won’t end up hurting you?  What do you guys think?  Suicide or even just hurting oneself is kind of out of your hands.  But anyways, one of the students in class noticed that the website did not tell you what to do in that situation.  I think that a huge problem because it happens to SO MANY PEOPLE and they have no idea how to react to the situation.  Of course you don’t want anyone to kill themselves, but how to you know they won’t?  I think the website is good to show videos of situations like these, but they need a follow up to explain a good option for the problem. 

 I really like the guest speaker and how she kind of focused on victims.  I agree with her.  I feel like we should sympathize with the victim; however what happens to them (in certain situations) could be their own fault.  Watch the news and you hear about a person who was mugged or raped.  Yes this is horrible, but if they were walking alone in a dark alley, it is kind of their fault.  They should not have put themselves in that position in the first place. 

Sorry that this is so sporadic, just my thoughts at the moment. 

Danielle Brown