Who decides fate of 13-year-old rape victim?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/otherviews/cst-edt-ref24.html

April 24, 2006

BY MELISSA SIMON

I was appalled when I heard South Dakota's governor declare that he signed an abortion ban into law because "unborn children are the most vulnerable and helpless persons in our society." As an obstetrician-gynecologist working at a major teaching hospital in Chicago, I treat women and girls every day who are in desperate need of reproductive health care services, ranging from abortion to counseling about contraceptives and prenatal care. One day is seared in my memory forever as an example of why the services we provide -- including safe, legal abortions -- are so essential.

My first patient that day was a scared, 12-year-old girl who was 22 weeks pregnant and wanted an abortion. She came into the clinic sucking her thumb and gripping her mother's hand. The girl claimed to have a boyfriend in the eighth grade. She had no knowledge of or access to contraception and had never been taught about sex either at school or at home.

Next, I treated a pregnant 13-year-old who had been raped by a 19-year-old man. She came to our clinic accompanied by her mother, while her seven younger brothers and sisters were in school. I will never forget the shame and fear in this young girl's face as she clutched her teddy bear and told me her story.

My third patient was another 13-year-old, who had been molested by her mother's boyfriend and was 23 weeks pregnant. She was brought into the clinic by a cousin. As I listened to this girl's story, I began to cry.

[LeftyMom]

1. k&r

[ThomCat]

2. That is an excellent article, but...

The fundie extremists seem to believe that these horrible examples are just unimportant, rare exceptions, and therefore not as important as all those blessed fetuses they plan to save.

Or worse, they see these examples as just some temporary suffering that a woman must go throught to bring a blessed fetus into this world.

Stories like these are important to us because we empathize with the living. The fundies are fixated on illusionary ideals.

[Beaverhausen]

3. Exactly why the government has no business making medical decisions

for anyone. This is between a woman/girl and her doctor.

[Fridays Child]

No!

[robinlynne]

8. forced childbirth. That's a good way of describing it.

Thank-you. I will refer to it as such from now on. I think we should adopt this 'framing", Fridays Child.

[Fridays Child]

9. I can't take credit. It comes from the DU Choice forum.

I did gin up a Cafe Press bumper sticker, though, which I'm offering at the base price of $2.99, with no profit to me. I'd love to see this meme spread because forced childbirth is exactly what South Dakota is proposing.

And, if I can convince a guy (any guy ought to do) to let me photograph him grabbing his crotch in a menacing and crude manner, I also intend to make a poster that says, "South Dakota: We've got your family planning right here, baby!" Admittedly, it's vulgar but I think it makes the point. And what South Dakota is trying to do to women makes "vulgar" seem saintly by comparison.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. The fundies do not care about the life of the mother. They do not really

care about the life of the germ cells/fetus/baby either. All they really care about is CONTROLLING WOMEN!!!

[FiveGoodMen]

5. Yes. And if you look at ALL their rules it's not just women, either.

They just want control. Total. Life-or-death. Unlimited. Control.

No group is a greater danger to the US or the world. Fundamentalism is THE evil!

[BrklynLiberal]

6. You are right. Fundamentalism in ALL its various incarnations!

[bobbieinok]

7. let us know what response she gets...and if RW threatens her

[Hippo_Tron]

10. If one of those girls had been Mike Rounds' daughter...

I guarantee you that he would be re-thinking his stance on abortion.

[undergroundpanther]

11. I wish I could make MEN get pregnant

Choice for men...

Don't ever have sex with any woman you don't want to have your baby.
Men don't like that idea, for some reason.they aren't stupid.
Every time they ejaculate into a vagina,
or even leak sperm close to a vagina,
the possibility of pregnancy exsists.
If they want to choose,
they can choose not to explore that possiblity.
After that decision is made,
they lose their choice.
Then woman then gets to make her choice.
Simple.

[demigoddess]

12. One thing that has not been mentioned in years, also, is the fact

that such young girls have a harder time while pregnant and giving birth.

Another fact from the march of dimes, I believe, is that girls in their teens have a higher rate of stillbirth, infant death syndrome, and birth defects and learning problems in their babies. Sometimes the learning disabilities show up in grade school.