Do you think people with mild retardation, or people with down syndrome, should be able to have children?

Answer 1

People with a disability by definition of the law are entitled to freedom of choice, in everything they do, this includes the right to have sex and children if they wish too, as well as protection from being abused either physically, sexually, emotionally, financially etc.

People with a disability (regardless of type of disability) will have the same thoughts and feelings as any non disabled person, and will go through puberty wanting to be touched, loved and will experience sexual feelings as any normal teen.

If a person is given the CORRECT information about sex and the options of protection against sexually transmitted disease, family planning and the social normalities of expressing their sexual needs, it is hoped that they can make their own choices wisely, including following social boundaries.

Sadly many, many young people with disabilities are taken advantage of and abused both physically and or sexually by unscrupulous people, its believed to be around 90% of people with intellectual impairments will experience sexual abuse some time in their life, physical abuse is not far behind. (which is reprehensible on the perpetrator)

This is mostly because they have not been told the facts of life, this includes family planning methods, freedom of choice as to whom they have sex with, the right to say NO, and the social normalities or boundaries of sexual expression.

People with disabilities have the right to express themselves the same way as anyone else does, as well as having the freedom to choose to have sex or not, and have children or not.

Obviously if they choose to have children they may need some sort of on going supervision, their children are unlikely to have a disability, but if this was to happen then the relevant services will be put in place to ensure the babies well being.


I know of a couple of people who have a mental/cogitative and or learning impairment, both having three children each, they are both excellent mothers, one being very house proud and her children have impeccable manners.

Answer 2

Hitler didn't think so.

I am NOT saying that anyone who would deny children to a mildly retarded person is a Nazi, only that some of the reasons cited for eugenics are suspect.

A great many people with a multitude of particular difficulties might give serious thought to whether they should be parents. A great many people who should probably not have considered having children have had them anyway, and a surprising number of those children have done as well or better than some of those whose parents–considered from the standpoint of eugenics–were far superior. I have misjudged individuals too often to feel comfortable making any generalizations about who should do what.

As I may have misjudged some of the other answers... Live and learn!

Answer 3

this is not a question about logic but freedom. In this country, we allow people who won't take of kids to have them. People who are supposedly of sound mind and body and yet, their kids are out in the streets at the ripe age of 3. DSS does nothing to these "parents"...
I know you honestly want to know if we should create a population that has mental health issues. We already have. You can't predict with 100% accuracy who will have a child with "issues" and who won't. I have a child with autism... Should I have been told by the gov't or my doctor " You can't have a child, we won't allow it."... ? I'm not diagnosed with any mental health or behavioral health issues. I made a's and b's in school, in regular ed classes. I stayed out of trouble for the most part.
What you have a sensitive issue here and it's hard to give just a yes or no answer. Some people with certain mental health issues can't procreate. I think this is the case with down's syndrome. Mild mental retardation, I don't know about.
How can you choose what is right for another person?

Answer 4

if they have the cognition to have a relationship, have sex, and be alone which obviously all of these things would have to be in place to have a child, then ofcourse. i think there are some people with down syndrome who would make a hellava better parent than some of the ones i've seen. i used to work with children with down syndrome and they are the cutest, most caring, stubborn, adorable, wonderful children out there. there are differing levels of severity as far as abilities and i think if they are high functioning, then who is anyone to say they don't have the same rights as everyone else. good question though. makes you think.

Answer 5

If they can financially and emotionally support the child, without assistance form government agencies, I don't see why not.

It does need to be considered how it will effect the child though. If parents with Down Syndrome, conceived a child without DS, how would the child cope in the face of having disabled parents? Is it fair on them? I dont really think so.

BUT, if you look around, there a plenty of people with low IQ bringing children into this world! And plenty of people who are not intellectually disabled, who wouldn't know how to parent if their lives depended on it.

This is a 50/50 situation, I guess it should be judged on the individuals in question..

Answer 6

It all depends on the ability of the persons with the cognitive disability. There are some people who are supposedly typical that probably shouldn't have children. As for someone with DS having children, they can have perfectly normal children just like anyone else. DS is not passed down like eye color. Just like in anything else, it all depends on the individual and I know many people with DS who work and take of themselves and are married. We all need to be careful about not lumping everyone with a label into a one size fits all category. It's so easy to say what one thinks a person can or can't do according to a label but until you actually know someone and know their capabilities one should not assume something based on such limited facts. Never underestimate the abilities those with special needs have based on preconceived ideas and out dated info. JMHO

Answer 7

Well you can't really stop anyone from having sex and eventually conceiving a child. However, we do have child welfare services that will protect the rights of the child. Doctors, nurses have a duty to report unfit parents to these agencies whether they have mild retardation or drug addictions. I would rather see a child loved by someone who is mildly reatarded than see a child deprived of love by a drug addict. How can society say who has the right to have children.

Answer 8

I don't want to be mean but I don't believe they should.How can they take care of a child. Wouldn't their children be even more severely retarded? What kind of life would a child like that have. I'm not unsympathetic to the desire of these folks to have offspring but I don't believe it's a good thing.

Answer 9

Yes i do ...

My son will be a fantastic dad one day just because he is different does not make him a bad person

society makes their lives even harder for them because society does not understand through the ignorance that is bred by the lack of understanding

These people have rights and no one should be able to take their rights away just because they are different

Answer 10

Depends on the ability of the person to parent a child. They should be denied the right to have kids if they can't care for them.