# Sixteen. Pregnant. Too young. Just MHO. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667 "2006-10-08T00:54:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/21 "2006-10-09T07:59:23Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I have no doubt that there have been, and are, plenty of good teenage parents - but it just gives me the creeps. [/QUOTE] It’s okay. It’s because you’re an American, where we’ve successful bred our young to be more emotionally immature and irresponsible with each generation. It’s why we have the greatest nation on earth! In a couple more centuries, our social engineering program will achieve its goal: infantilizing people until they reach the age of 30, whereupon they will be abruptly expected to take on adult responsibilities. Meanwhile, the more backwards nations will sadly continue to treat their young as capable, mature, intelligent, self-determining individuals who are prepared for adulthood. Sad ☹ ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/22 "2006-10-09T11:53:35Z")
Any Kiwi Dopers wanna take odds on whether this will spearhead debate on NZ’s teen pregnancy rates? With sidebets on how long 'til a relative goes tearfully on Campbell Live, or whether Susan Wood will interview Keisha herself? I’m a little conflicted on this. On the one hand, as others have pointed out, she’s in a better financial position than most other pregnant teenagers, and hopefully she’ll receive a lot of family support. On the other hand, sixteen seems far too young to be having a baby, especially if she’s going to be in the public eye for a lot of it… I’m also a little pissed that this made the front pages of both the local Sunday papers. Entertainment news, woman’s magazines, sure. But _front page news?_ Surely we’re a more interesting country than this. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/23 "2006-10-09T12:20:37Z")
[QUOTE=manx] Any Kiwi Dopers wanna take odds on whether this will spearhead debate on NZ’s teen pregnancy rates? With sidebets on how long 'til a relative goes tearfully on Campbell Live, or whether Susan Wood will interview Keisha herself? [/QUOTE] From what I heard on talkback today Keisha appears to be the EVERY single TEENAGE mum. I only hope John Campbell beats snooty Susan to the punch. Truly how pathetic is this! We have the second highest teenage pregnancy rate after America. Why should Keisha be caught up in statistics? Why is this even news? She has a boyfriend of 3 years, a loving family and a certain level of financial security. She has made a mistake surely…just let her get on with doing her best! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/24 "2006-10-09T12:56:56Z")
Stupid question here: What’s the age of consent where they are? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/25 "2006-10-09T13:04:23Z")
[QUOTE=Monty] What’s the age of consent where they are? [/QUOTE] Why did I read that with a Peter Lorre accent? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/26 "2006-10-09T13:20:21Z")
[QUOTE=Monty] Stupid question here: What’s the age of consent where they are? [/QUOTE] 16 and you don’t even need an Academy nomination! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/27 "2006-10-09T22:59:01Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] Meanwhile, the more backwards nations will sadly continue to treat their young as capable, mature, intelligent, self-determining individuals who are prepared for adulthood. Sad ☹ [/QUOTE] I hope I’m being whooshed here-- do you actually think that teen pregnancy rates are higher in third world countries because “treat their young as capable, mature, intelligent, self-determining individuals who are prepared for adulthood…”? If so, hey, wow, you missed the point entirely. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/28 "2006-10-09T23:46:15Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] I hope I’m being whooshed here-- do you actually think that teen pregnancy rates are higher in third world countries because “treat their young as capable, mature, intelligent, self-determining individuals who are prepared for adulthood…”? If so, hey, wow, you missed the point entirely. [/QUOTE] Not to mention…one could easily make the argument that developing nations are “developing” _because_ women in them have children so early. Doesn’t seem like a valid argument to me. But citing the large numbers of people in developing countries born from teenaged mothers doesn’t seem like a good way to advocate teenaged pregancy. Just because it’s done all the time doesn’t make it ideal. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/29 "2006-10-10T00:46:40Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] It’s okay. It’s because you’re an American, where we’ve successful bred our young to be more emotionally immature and irresponsible with each generation. [/quote] Listen, if you want to go off on a rant about how the entire notion of adulthood is being rendered extinct and nobody wants to grow up, even in the ways that are beneficial, I’m right there with you. But I don’t know what bearing it has on this thread. I don’t think 16-year-olds are adults. I think they are able to make some decisions on their own, and I even think they’re able to consent to sex. But a 16-year-old raising kids? I’m not alright with that. Most teens I’ve met, and maybe Keisha Castle-Hughes is a complete exception, are not even close to the emotional maturity that comes with having somebody depend on you for survival. Which is why, in this country, your average woman waits to become a mother until she is almost ten years older than Castle-Hughes is. And you’re wrong that it’s some kind of American thing. This is a trend throughout Western societies, and [93 percent of mothers in New Zealand were older than 20.](http://www.nzhis.govt.nz/stats/maternitystats.html) That’s _20_, not 16 or 17. So she’s way on the far end of the curve by her home country’s standards, too. And if I may continue opining, there’s a good reason that’s the case. > [@](#): > > Meanwhile, the more backwards nations will sadly continue to treat their young as capable, mature, intelligent, self-determining individuals who are prepared for adulthood. Sad ☹ Yeah, teen mothers in poor countries are going to be _everybody_’s envy in the next few years. Just you wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/30 "2006-10-10T08:21:37Z")
Well _ahem_ I was simply using a bit of sarcasm (using it poorly, I suppose) to respond to the phrase “gives me the creeps”. I guess I’ve read the words “creepy” and “the creeps” too many times in discussions about the sexual activities of 16-year-old “children” and I went off half-cocked. > [@Marley23](#): > > rant about how the entire notion of adulthood is being rendered extinct and nobody wants to grow up, even in the ways that are beneficial Quite the opposite, actually. My argument is that American (or perhaps “Western”) culture _imposes_ childhood on an age range that was once considered to be early adulthood. Many of these so-called “children” _want_ to grow up and be treated as adults and to accept the responsibility that entails, but they can’t because society won’t let them. But you’re correct, this thread wasn’t the place for such an argument. I apologize and withdraw. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/31 "2006-10-10T17:55:28Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] Quite the opposite, actually. My argument is that American (or perhaps “Western”) culture _imposes_ childhood on an age range that was once considered to be early adulthood. Many of these so-called “children” _want_ to grow up and be treated as adults and to accept the responsibility that entails, but they can’t because society won’t let them. [/QUOTE] It works both ways, I think: childhood ends earlier and adulthood starts later. But I agree this is another topic. I hope we do have an understanding that I was saying teen motherhood creeps me out because I don’t think they’re ready for it, not because I think no teens should have sex or stay out later than 8:30 or anything. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667/32 "2006-10-10T18:06:57Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] If we were all hunter-gatherer stone age types, this wouldn’t even be worth noting. By 16 she’d probably be on her second or third child, and be dead by 30. Er, there must be a point in there somewhere. [/QUOTE] “She peaked too soon, and it’s all downhill after being the Queen of Naboo?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sixteen-pregnant-too-young-just-mho/375667.md?page=1)