TeenSpot.com - Should a pregnancy be terminated if it could save the mother’s life?

Recent Celebs Movies TV Shows Music Style Health

Should a pregnancy be terminated if it could save the mother’s life?

72 Comments

| More

A sixteen-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic isn’t receiving potentially life-saving chemotherapy because she is nine weeks pregnant and the country has banned abortions. While her doctors would not have to perform an actual abortion, the chemotherapy would likely terminate the pregnancy, and they do not want to be prosecuted for breaking the law. However, if she doesn’t receive the chemotherapy, she will likely die.

What do you think of this situation? Where do you stand on abortion?

Tags: abortion, cancer, chemotherapy, health, news, teen pregnancy

Comments (72)

Elise_loves_youu on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 4:32 pm

A lady is supposed to die inorder to keep life going.
ikspuls on Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 6:48 am

I AM 100% ABORTION, AKA MURDER. ALWAYS HAVE BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE.
DitzyDaKitty on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at 5:20 pm

i believe its wrong… if you abort a baby thats your business.. and the things said about not being able to care for it, you can put it up for adoption, and there are many options, you dont know what that baby could be destined to do, it could be the next president, it could be the world’s best dancer or singer or anything! A baby’s heartbeat starts beating 4 days (maybe weeks cant rememeber)after you have gotten pregnant.. and if you were raped then im sorry, but if you got pregnant by your boyfriend or whomever thats your own fault…
HotPinkSunglasses on Monday, July 30, 2012 at 6:26 pm

Abortion is wrong. No “and’s” no “if’s” no “but’s” and NO exceptions. Thats my honest opinion. Murder to solve a “problem” is never right. never.
I understand that it would be a hard situation, and of course it would be the mother and her parents choice.
I would be understanding if, say I knew the girl, and she did have an abortion, but I wouldn’t agree with it.
There are always other options.
cheriseaide on Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 6:13 am

A woman is to die so that life can live on, that’s fairly normal to be honest and it is the way it has been since ancient times. While it would probably not be me who’d want to be the girl who needs either chemo or who is baring child, I don’t think that it gives her the – I don’t want to say right, since a right can’t undermine another right (I.e;, the right to life.) – privilege to put the child in harms way.
DiscountHobo on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 8:08 pm

Well, Jason. You misunderstood me (and so did Xmurder). My proposed scenario was towards MENTALITY and not what is practiced; because many believe that up to five months an abortion is acceptable and some even think that he/she isn’t even alive until birth… and I think that’s disgusting. Really? Well, LEGALLY in many states if a pregnant woman (I’m not sure how far along she has to be, or if it even matters) is murdered then the accused can be charged with a double murder. It’s a clump of cells with a heartbeat within the first few weeks and has a gender at conception (the sperm carries the appointed chromosomes, in case that needs explaining). Why anyone would think we, humans, started out as anything but human is beyond me.

And it’s obvious you’re not a big fan of babies, Jason. It’s obvious. But don’t flatter yourself, I’m not “trying” anything on anyone. I just want people to understand and consider both sides. Don’t get me wrong, if a woman gets an abortion then this is her business and I’m sure she has a reason for it and NO ONE has the right to hold that against her. However, that doesn’t make it right (ESPECIALLY when the mother is having unprotected sex and knows she can get pregnant, and/or has had multiple abortions) and I won’t convince myself other-wise. Don’t condemn me for being against it and I won’t condemn you for being for it.

This particular position is truly heartbreaking though because I imagine the girl wants to live (she’s a child herself), but for all we know, she may also want the opportunity of giving her parent(s) a grandkid in case they lose her too. We don’t know. It’s not our decision to say one way or the other.
JamesTB13 on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 6:56 pm

Well discounthobo, most of the time it would be “6 months ago”, and how would they cut up a clump of cells inside a uterus, exactly? As far as I was aware, they just vaccuum it out. Because, again, that’s all it is. It is not alive. It is incapable of concious thought. It is literally just a mass of organic matter. In fact, legally, if a baby dies within it’s first 10 minutes of being outside, they still class it as a miscarriage. As far as I know, don’t quote me on that.
My point is, it’s not a child. It’s not alive. Why you seem so intent on that point is beyond me.
Like, really, get an abortion, or have your life ruined?….Hmmmmm…
And I’m not a big fan of babies, but nice try there discounthobo.
Tikochu on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 5:16 pm

For the people who are COMPLETELY against abortions “because it’s your own fault”…

That’s BS.

What if you were raped? What if you haven’t gotten enough money to take care of yourself, let alone a baby?

Think of these things, people.

It’s the female’s body, we can do what we want with it. Would I want an abortion? If I was raped, I would. If I was dying, I would rather abort my baby rather than both of us be dead. If I couldn’t take care of it, I would abort it because *it is the right thing to do* rather than bring a baby into the world that you can’t take care of, or you don’t want.
Esperanto on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 5:01 pm

So many appeal to emotion arguments, it makes me sad
accio_anthem on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 4:34 pm

I believe it’s best to give her the chemotherapy. I’d feel really bad if she loses the baby because of it, but I think of it this way: there are other chances to have a baby. You don’t get other chances to live.