[ThePunkAlien]

I see it as the responsible person has a series of choices to make.

1. If they're not financially, emotionally, etc. able to care for a child yet, put that child up for adoption. Do what's best for the life growing inside you, rather than purely for yourself. Sex is a mature act, if you're responsible enough to have sex - you should be responsible enough to be prepared to deal with the consequences. I'm not saying, you had sex - now here's difficulties, what I'm saying is - enter sex being prepared for what may come.

2. If you want to raise your child, then by all means, do so but be prepared for being a parent and the responsibilities that pertain to being a parent.

3. If you want to raise your child, but do not have the means to do it... alright, do what's best - give the child up for adoption. Yeah, I won't lie, it will sting psychologically for both parties involved - the child and the parents - but it by and far beats the alternative. I'd rather be alive than dead. You also have the chance of starting a family later when you're more prepared and the possibility of one day reuniting.

4. If there are possibilities of irreperable harm to the baby or to yourself, by all means, don't risk it and get the abortion. But, what bothers me is when people do it when they're not facing the extremes - just that they "don't want it at this point in their life."

5. Wait off on sex until you're ready to handle the responsibilities that may or may not come from it.

Abortion shouldn't be illegal, but it should be reserved for the extreme of scenarios. Not stigma, not how others might see you, but for what's responsible and best for the child. Actually, it should be restricted - those under nineteen - need to have parental consult beforehand, I think that would get rid of the whole "my parents will find out, kill it!" response I see sometimes based purely out of fear than thinking things through all the way. Because it is the most "adult decision" that one needs to make in life, ones that a still developing brain might not be ready to fully handle. This wouldn't completely reduce abortions, but it would probably reduce the number of early pregnancies that lead to abortion, because part of it seems more to do with the fear and stigma than anything else.

And believe me, as the "embryo" who's mother was put through this, I'm happy she did what was best and chose to give me life. I'm willing to say you can even ask those in orphanages right now, would you rather be alive or be aborted by your mother? They'd say - be alive.

As said, coming from this type of life, I probably think a lot differently than others do. Even hearing first night stands or girls who "sleep around" sickens me, because they aren't seeing the possibilities of what might happen and seem like they don't even care. When I hear my friends talking about it, it's really off-putting because all I can see is my father who knocked up my Mom, didn't know how to handle things and ran away.

Being from the opposite side of the coin, it's colored how I see things. The lengths I'm willing to go to if I ever get a girl pregnant, I'm ready and willing to throw my whole life away, because I don't ever want to be my father no matter how hards things might get.