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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

As for putting a daughter on birth control de facto...

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I believe if and when I have a daughter, as early as is medically safe, I expect she'll be on the safest form of birth control possible. 
 

 
... I find this presposterous. Why not wait until the daughter expresses the need and desire to practice contraception? It's far more respectful of her and of her choices, rather than make the assumption that now that she's able to reproduce she will.

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ORIGINAL: Stephann

How many daughters don't admit to their parents that they want/need birth control because they are afraid to admit they're having sex?  Honestly, given my personality (which doesn't express as well through this message board) I highly doubt my daughter would be afraid to ask for birth control; yet I've already pointed out several good reasons unrelated to actual contraception, for why I would rather she take the pill as soon as she is able.

Again, the final assumption, is that the child has the right to make that choice or not.  thedark's son sums up what most children in healthy families would say "if you thought it was the right thing to do, I'd be ok with it."  Children take their cues on their health and safety from parents; not the other way around.

I've also clearly stated that if my daughter was adamently against it, and I felt I could trust her judgment (and I pray that I could) I wouldn't force the issue.

Stephan

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Complete hijack (meh whats new) - Have you read 'Revisited'?  If so, would you recommend it?
 
the.dark.
 

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Perhaps my experience made me into a hopeless idealist... I was lucky enough to be raised in a highly intelligent environment where matters of love and sex weren't taboo, or dirty. I was comfortable enough to ask for the pill when I needed it...

Which brings me to this: if  sexual education was an integral part of the curriculum in schools; if  teenagers were able to seek contraception when they need it (as in Maine) without having to tell their parents, if the morning after pill was available at all pharmacies; if sex wasn't such a taboo subject; if politicians stopped listening to the religious despots... if  all these matters were resolved... abortion would still be necessary in some instances.

I think we agree on the above anyway  .

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The words of my dad still haunt me today: "We don't do that sort of thing! We're not hill people!"

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ORIGINAL: CuriousLord

Dear all:

It was my hope to point out that to be "human" is to meet a series of vague and differing definitions.. that, in the end, you can't say something is or isn't human anymore than you can say if the number 435 is close to 500.  You could more accurately say that the subject in consideration (the 435) is close to the ideal (the 500) in ways.  Or, more accurately, you could say it differs by 65.  Or, with true reverence, you could state that they're simply 435 and 500, leaving the analysis up to circumstance.

Therefore, is a fetus human?  The question is silly because it's based off on how close to one's ideal of humanity it is!  It's certainly closer than a pile of dirt, but it's probably further than your adult family members.

My point is that if something is or isn't human is irrelevant.  That we have to look beyond that to understand the question.

More whispers lost to noise.

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ORIGINAL: aviinterra

oh dear, this thread has gone way off it's topic.

Stephann, you seem to be sure that the pill is a godsend against pregnancy. As someone who has worked in the pharm. industry, I urge you to reconsider your quick judgement that you would have your daughter put on it, and fast, before you have even had her much less consulted a competant physician.
For your future benefit and perhaps as a service to some others, here is a list of pros and cons, as given by a leading university:
The good things:
Decreased menstrual blood flow, both in amount and duration.
Decreased menstrual cramps.
Decreased severity of premenstrual syndrome.
Decreased incidence of functional ovarian cysts and ovulatory pain.
Decreased risk of breast cysts
Decreased risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
Does not interrupt love-making.
Reversible contraceptive method - previous fertility status returns after discontinuation of the pill.

The bad things:
Spotting or bleeding between normal periods, "break-through bleeding"
Weight and/or appetite changes
Nausea, prevented by taking the pill with food
Breast tenderness or fullness
Mood changes, irritability and infrequently, in sex drive change
Hormonal changes resulting in vaginal itching and possible vaginitis
Abdominal Pain
Vomiting
Weakness
Chest Pain (Severe)
Shortness of Breath
Cough
Left Arm or Shoulder Pain
Headache (severe)
Dizziness
Weakness
Sudden Intellectual Impairment
Eye Problems
Complete or Partial Loss of Vision
Sudden Visual Impairment
Severe Leg Pains
Swelling
Localized Heat
Tenderness
Hypertension - (occasional) High blood pressure. There may not be any symptoms. Blood pressure should be checked every 6 to 12 months by a health care practitioner.
Amenorrhea - (occasional) Failure of menstrual periods to return after stopping the pill. There may be slight delay, as long as six months, in return of regular menses after stopping the pill. This is sometimes accompanied by galactorrhea, a milky discharge from the nipples. Amenorrhea is more apt to occur in those women who had irregular periods prior to pill use.
Gall bladder disease - (rare) Development of gallstones. Symptoms are upper abdominal pain, indigestion.
Liver tumors - Rare, but reported with long-term oral contraceptive use. Abdominal pain occurs, possible rupture and extensive bleeding.

Severe Side Effects:
Circulatory problems due to blood clots or thrombosis are the potential life-threatening side effects of the pill. These include stroke, heart attack, and cardiovascular disease. Women over the age of 35, are obese, have high cholesterol levels, and who smoke are most at risk.

As you can see, the pill is no fun for some women, and it was designed for the average ADULT and sexually active woman, not a female that is still even in the last phases of puberty, which can continue until 20.

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ORIGINAL: loveNdevotion

"Thankfully, your dream will remain a fantasy. Abortion isn't such a problem that we'll ever have to resort to such extreme measures. It's an unfortunate fact of life that women have to terminate pregnancies: but it's not the end of the world. Only anti-choice people would have us believe that. "

Actually, it is the end of someone's world.  Quite literally so.  Whether that someone was considered human at the time their world ended- or would have become human at some point in the ensuing months- the world did, indeed, end- for them.

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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth



having the same 14 year old decide on a semi-permanent birth control method WITHOUT the approval of her parents seems to make even more sense---ounce of prevention and all.

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ORIGINAL: Stephann

In no way am I suggesting the pill is flawless contraception.  I'm suggesting that, statistically, it works far better to prevent pregnancy, and generally I find the benefits (even for someone who is practicing abstinance) outweigh the risks for the average, healthy person.

I've actually been speaking more, in this thread, about the future though; about the likelyhood of procedures that will be painless, harmless, and even more effective in reducing the possibility of unwanted pregnancy.  Again, if it was on par with just getting a shot at 3, 5, or 8 years old, to never have to worry about your child becoming pregnant until they choose to do so, why wouldn't yo?

Stephan

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ORIGINAL: Muttling

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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth



having the same 14 year old decide on a semi-permanent birth control method WITHOUT the approval of her parents seems to make even more sense---ounce of prevention and all.

Didn't the nation have this exact same argument concerning the sell of condoms to minors about 20 years ago???

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ORIGINAL: Owner59

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ORIGINAL: Stephann

In no way am I suggesting the pill is flawless contraception.  I'm suggesting that, statistically, it works far better to prevent pregnancy, and generally I find the benefits (even for someone who is practicing abstinance) outweigh the risks for the average, healthy person.

I've actually been speaking more, in this thread, about the future though; about the likelyhood of procedures that will be painless, harmless, and even more effective in reducing the possibility of unwanted pregnancy.  Again, if it was on par with just getting a shot at 3, 5, or 8 years old, to never have to worry about your child becoming pregnant until they choose to do so, why wouldn't yo?

Stephan

about the likelyhood of procedures that will be painless, harmless, and even more effective in reducing the possibility of unwanted pregnancy. 
 
Hope so,a vasectomy feels like a kick in the balls for days.

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If they are,then why don`t people have funerals for
miscarriages or the unborn?