Friday, March 29, 2024

Mixed views on abortion call

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There are mixed views from some of our readers to the recent call made by Executive Director of the Barbados Family Planning Association George Griffith for doctors to be allowed to perform abortions on underage girls once their parents give them the go-ahead.Some agree with Griffith, who does not believe a 12-year-old should be permitted to carry a pregnancy full term, while others believe that termination of a pregnancy is just wrong.These are some of the views readers shared on our Facebook page on this matter.Koliah Bourne: “[I] Disagree. If she thought she was old enough to have sex, then she’s old enough to handle the consequences of her actions. She should not be able to terminate an innocent life. She should carry it to term and if she can’t take care of it then she can put the child up for adoption and let a family who really wants a child have one.”Luka Alisia: “…From a medical standpoint, it is highly dangerous to the life of those 11 and 12 year olds to carry pregnancies to term, and this is probably why Griffith is sharing this view. From what I understand, Barbados allows abortions in cases where the mother’s life is threatened, and I see no reason why a 12 year old mother does not fall into that category, in fact she should be one of the most at risk.”Kim Clarke:  “All ‘children’ who contract sexually transmitted infections or who get pregnant don’t do so based on choices that they make. While some do make the choice to have sex, others are raped or sexually abused by so-called adults who should know better, but then we want to castigate the children for making what we deem as inappropriate choices. Before we as humans judge, we need to know the circumstances so that the appropriate decision can be made. Parents still have rights but so do ‘children’ and some parents just don’t care about their children, have them in abusive and volatile situations and then make them suffer the consequences of the actions of adults. If she was old enough to have sex then she is old enough to make the choice to have an abortion? This is a pro-choice world that we live in.”Devaron Bruce: “There are many other situations under which a 12-year-old can become pregnant other than being promiscuous. No one is saying that it should be mandatory that a 12-year-old should have an abortion, but what is the problem with formulating a time frame under which you can, and allow parents and child to at least have the legal choice.”Conchita Moseley: “Girls, if they become pregnant and prefer to have an abortion will. If prevented by family or religious beliefs, [they] go backstreet. It would be wiser for a professional doctor to perform the abortion wrong or right.”

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