DS’s girlfriend is pregnant.

[Mondayblues6]

DS is 17 years old and his girlfriend is 16. They have been sleeping together a few months. I talked to him about contraception but he told me his girlfriend was not keen keen to go on the pill but they used condoms. Today he he told me that his girlfriend is 6 weeks pregnant. They are both very upset. They have already told his girlfriend’s mum and she has arranged for her to have an abortion. My son’s girlfriend is so upset that she will never get over this and that she is doing the wrong thing. My son is being very supportive and has told his girlfriend that he will support any decision she makes. My son is so sad and responsible that this happened. I have given him a hig and told him I will be there for them both. What else can I do?

They're a bit odd aren't they.

You can say that again. Weird.

Maybe they're not human!

There’s a thought!

And so what? The 16 year old isn’t obliged to keep it there by virtue of it being alive.

My post was in response to @Clarabell77 who said

“A lot of people see it as ending a life, even if it’s just a “bunch of cells” it’s still the possibility of a living human being that you’re taking away.”

There seems to be an unscientific notion on this thread that the developing embryo isn’t human or living. My post was by way of clarification to state the scientific facts.

I’ve expressed no opinion as to what choice the 16 year old should make. I welcome your statement that s/he is in fact living.

It doesn't matter. No one asked.

Actually@InterIgnis asked

“And so what? The 16 year old isn’t obliged to keep it there by virtue of it being alive.”

No. That means she doesn't care. It's not going to develop into a human that can live outside a womb.

Stop it

Having survived to 6 weeks, if s/he is not aborted s/he has a 90% chance of surviving to birth.

These are just scientific facts.

Why do you think that it being human or living is some particularly earth shattering revelation that defines the abortion debate, or that anyone here has denied that it’s human. What has been denied is that it’s a human being, or rather a human person.

Personhood is a legal concept, and one that isn’t conferred until live birth. Fetuses/unborn babies are distinct organisms belong to the human species, but they’re not legally people.

but what about that is relevant here?

I was responding with scientific facts to the statement made by @K0OLA1D

”It's not going to develop into a human that can live outside a womb.”

If not aborted s/he has a 90% chance of surviving to birth ie “living outside a womb”.

You are the first person I’ve seen here raise a “legal person” argument.

I’ve seen many, many posts denying that the embryo is human and living.

It seems to be a point of discomfort to some other contributors to this discussion.
One wonders why.

Bananas are radioactive. That too is a scientific fact, and that too has fuck all relevance. She’s having an abortion, so what does a 90% chance of survival to birth if she didn’t have to do with anything?

Nevermind. Not engaging in the faux intellectual wankery. Actually wanking would be a better use of time.

I think you’ve replied to the wrong person, I agree it’s a big deal. Someone else said it wasn’t.

What are you talking about. The girl is book for an abortion.

Exactly.

I think because although it's a homosapien embryo, must people associate human to human of age 0 upwards, not at minus 36 weeks. Same with pronoun identification of a bunch of cells. We don't normally say a growth is alive as it implies conscious thought.

No, I replied to the right person. It’s being pregnant at 16 that’s the big deal. There’s a very strong chance that she’ll look back on it and feel nothing but relief that it’s in the rear view mirror.

Okay, well, I agree, it is a big deal.

But we all know that.

I had an abortion because I needed to stop the pregnancy from progressing.

The fetus was alive. I chose to remove it.

What does any of this matter?

Are you a foster parent? Adoptive parent?

The only place it sounds like she's being cohersed is in your heads, there's literally nothing in the OP that suggests that anywhere. You two need to give your heads a wobble 😞

You are wrong. A six week old foetus is the size of a baked bean and is clearly a small body, not just a collection of cells.

https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/pregnancy/week-by-week-guide-to-pregnancy/1st-trimester/week-6/