What's worse for teens, teaching them abstinence or letting them have an abortion without parental consent?

Answer 1

Having an abortion without parental consent is far worse than teaching teens abstinence. I don't know what parents who think teaching abstinence is not any good tell their teens. Do a lot of them just say, "I know you won't be abstinent, so we'll just put you on birth control pills and here's some comdons to carry with you at all times"? That sounds like going from zero to a hundred miles an hour to me and a parent who couldn't care less. As far as I know, unless they've been taught to think nothing of it, there are emotions that go with it, including what they think of themselves. Do parents just say, "When the boys you have sex with you tell all the other boys all about it, don't think anything of it"? They do. That has not changed any since I was young. All the enlightened people in the world can't stop them from it either. I always felt sorry for the girls that got talked about like that when I was a teen, though then there were very few of them. One girl I knew got pregnant and left for a year. When she came back, she practiced abstinence, and all the boys knew it was no good trying to get her to do otherwise. The girls did not think less of her. We were in awe of her for growing up and being so proud and wise. She never told anybody what happened with the baby or any other details. It was her business and we respected that. Girls back then generally believed they were too young for marriage before they got out of high school, so if anything happened before then they'd likely have a baby. We did not know what abortion was. Abstinence worked 99% of the time.

I realize that now that teens know there are ways to prevent pregnancy and hear so much about other teens having sex all the time, that it is bound to be hard for those who have some upbringing about respecting themselves to not join in. But my first thought still wouldn't be to just teach them how to prevent pregnancy and STD's as if they were adults. And even excluding the religious factor, there is still the fact that teens are not all that responsible. Actually their brains aren't even fully developed until 18 for females and older than that for males. But let that not bother any worldly wise liberals! If they don't even think enough of their young children not to scare them to death about global warming, why should they have any respect when for them after they're teens. Do they even tell them about the risks of abortion? Excuse me for going far beyond the question, but it just seems like a lot of people need to respect childhood for what it is, an age that still needs a lot of guidance and teaching about truth and values that they can carry with them the rest of their lives.

Answer 2

Easy- letting them have an abortion without parental consent. Abstinence should be taught as a PART of a well-rounded sex education class, not as the only option.

Of course, nothing is black and white like conservatives think. There are infinite shades of grey. For example - Should a minor raped by her father be forced to seek parental consent for an abortion?

Abstinence-only education hasn't worked. Yes, abstinence is the only 100% foolproof way to prevent unwanted pregnancy. If minors are going to have sex, they need to be taught the facts. In 2005, 47 percent of high school students — 6.7 million — reported having had sexual intercourse. Of those, 63 percent — about 3 million — used condoms. The teen birth rate, was 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15-17— an all-time low (but still too high).

Answer 3

it's a little disturbing that the first three answers say that teaching abstinence is worse . . .

Abortion w/o parental consent is worse. Having that option, teaches teens that it is okay to do whatever you want and you won't be held accountable. Your parents won't know so they won't discipline you, and your teachers/schools condone it. From what I have seen, young teens are not capable of understanding the full ramifications of an abortion. Part of me really wonders if they care . . .

Parents are the only ones who should be raising a child. It's all good when the village helps so long as it doesn't spread corruption and greed.

Answer 4

That's probably a parents worst nightmare, to find out that their daughter was pregnant and had an abortion. For once I agree with you. But listen RLP, it seems like abstinence is unrealistic these days. Most people lose their virginity when they are in their teens. I can't really talk about raising kids because I am not a mother. But I was taught to be abstinent until I got married but if I was going to have sex to make sure I was ready and use protection. Kids rebel. You tell them to do one thing, and they do another. Always expect the worst but hope for the best. Teach kids that abstinence is the best choice but also teach them how to protect themselves.

Answer 5

Obviously, abstinance is the best way to avoid pregnancy and STDs. And it does not harm children to learn that abstinance is the best policy. The problem comes when fundamentalist extremests hijack education and start teaching that abstinance is the only policy. When you just lable sex as a sin. Then all those who yield to the temptation of lust are sinners. This breeds shame. Such shame that girls cannot face their parents and seek abortions without parental consent to hide their sins. So in a sense, one, leads directly to the other. In a complete sex education class, kids would learn that abstinance is the only perfect protection, but birth control and contraception will help. Furthurmore, parents need to have an open communication with their children so that they will not be trying to hide such life altering decisions from them. Now, from a medical standpoint, there is risk involved in any surgical procedure. You cannot perform surgury on a minor without informing their parents or legal guardian. If a child truly feels that they would be endangered if their parents discovered their abortion, they could appeal to have a temporary guardian assigned by the court to authorize the decision. But a judge would have to be satisfied that this was an extrordinary case. I really hate abortion. I really wish it never happened. But it does.

Answer 6

Umm....abortion??

Seriously, teaching about abstinence is perfectly healthy. But to ignore the fact that teens are experimental and are likely to have sex at some point, and therefore not also teach them about STDs and pregnancy is just as dangerous as allowing abortion without parental consent.

An abortion will potentially change a teen's life....AIDS will end it.

I pray that your children are safe and healthy; because if you neglect to teach them about safe sex, how else are they supposed to protect themselves? Not everyone will live an abstinent life, no matter how much you preach.

Answer 7

I'm with Earnest. As a parent of 2 teens and one pre-teen, I am troubled by some of the answers provided here. I am even more troubled that in some states, a teen can have an abortion without consent, yet needs a parents' consent to get her ears pierced down at the mall. Something is seriously wrong with that picture. ////shakes head/////

Answer 8

Teaching them abstinence is worse because it doesn't work. Teaching birth control is the only way to end abortion or the need for abortion by teens. If you taught them birth control in the first place, they wouldn't need the abortion that they won't tell their parents about. Therefore, you'd not only teach them something practical by teaching various birth control methods but you would avoid another abortion happening in the world.

Answer 9

My guess people will rant against abstinence saying it doesn't work. Well it does work if you pratice it. Just like "safe sex" works too but it won't if you don't take the condomn out of the package.

I seprate abortion in the line about when kids who can't even get an asprin without their parents consent is somehow mature enough to make a decision about life or death without question.

Those who think it is OK for teachers to take kids across state lines for an abortion how would feel if some teacher took your kid without your premission to go a church service and the kids comes back "saved"?
taken to see a concert you don't want your kids to see?

Answer 10

Yeah, because let me tell you, teaching children abstinence only in schools, that's the way to go. But that's probably why about 10 kids in my HS were pregnant before they graduated. But it works. I know of only a handful of states that allow abortions without parental consent.
How about we teach abstinence, but if you choose to be sexually active, you protect yourself. Kids don't know of all the ways to protect from pregnancy.