Blog 8: Too young to give Birth

In the article “Too young to give birth”, it is recognized that teen pregnancy is a global problem not in just underdeveloped countries but also in very well developed countries like the U.S. in the article the author states that in three region South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America that teenage birth or even below teenage birth is an all-time high. As it is told many of these young girls that are giving birth are not willing participants in these discussions but also that they are usually not even a part of these choices , that can affect their whole lives in such horrible ways that can affect their health, future admirations.  Many of the time in underdeveloped countries it is the family and parents that make these choices for the girls to be married young. They’re used as bargaining tools, to pay off debts, and in some cases to just get the fact that they have a girl out of the house many times for money and a lot of time this is before the girl has even reach adulthood. It also tells about the huge numbers of girls that die from giving birth either because they were not taken care of during it because of lack of education and care but also mainly because their bodies have yet to even develop fully to carry a child. It also taking about the steps that some are making to change these high numbers of young girls giving birth, getting married away so young, and also the amounts of deaths that happen.

Honestly this is not a shock at all that the numbers are so high or that even the U.S is one of those countries with this high of a rate of young births. A lot of the time young girls are not educated enough about their bodies and how to keep it healthy and also protect themselves against things like STDs and also pregnancy. The fact that in some regions and countries parents don’t see their daughters as treasures and just as good as having a boy is does not come as a shocking response. A lot of time in these underdeveloped countries past time and mindsets are still in the society and has a hard time changing around, but it does come as a shock to me that they are marring them off so young just for a little bit of cash, debts, alliances in families without taking into consideration their young bodies but also their young dreams. Then again it is shocking that some countries have such high numbers that are even six times that amount of the larger countries or that the death rate is also that high.  Looking to the brighter side it is very relieving that there are some places that are trying to make a change and stop this now after so many centuries and decades of young girls getting married off too young and also being forced to bare children when they are mentally and physically unready.

Shelby Powell
11/01/2013
4:14pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/un-teen-births/index.html?hpt=wo_mid