The issue of unplanned pregnancy is a societal problem that ultimately reflects the lack of knowledge and consciousness of the general public. While some people are just irresponsible about preventing a pregnancy, others are ignorant, and might also suffer with abuse and violence. Texas should definitely focus on educating the public, instead of constantly allowing abortions. The focus should be on how to either prevent or plan a pregnancy, instead of terminating it.
Women do have a choice, especially when they are educated. The choice, however, should come before the pregnancy with the use of birth control. Education and guidance seem to be the only remedy to this sad reality, and this information needs to be available early in life. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the ages of mothers start as early as ten years old, and father’s as early as twelve! This data is the evidence that Texas should implement a permanent program in schools to deal with unplanned pregnancy, to teach the youth how and why to prevent it, and to truly explain the consequences of their choices. Hopefully, the parents of these students would also get involved, and perhaps this guidance would survive and be practiced outside the classroom.
Governor Perry has implemented the “abstinence only” program to the youth, which has been proven ineffective and unrealistic, since Texas holds the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. When confronted about the effectiveness of the abstinence program by the Texas Tribune interviewer, the governor insisted that this is the best Texas can do to educate its youth.
Although, I highly disagree with Perry’s approach about how to educate Texans about sexuality and healthy family planning, I do see a bright side on the newest sonogram law. Giving a woman a chance to make an informed decision might avoid regrets later on, and might also be a motivator to a healthier and more responsible sexual life. The bill accounts for important exceptions for victims of sexual assault and incest, and, in my opinion, it benefits the relationship between the doctor and the patient. The doctor will now have a chance to fully explain, advice, and support the patient truthfully, instead of ignoring the severity of the situation completely and regarding it as an ordinary procedure.
My problem with the sonogram law is that this is a remedial method to the issue, instead of a preventive one. I believe that corrective methods should only be used when every preventive method has failed. Once again, the only way Texas can reduce its birth rates and avoid the outrageous early pregnancies is to educate the public. Certainly, there are cases when the mother’s life is at risk or some other extreme situation exists, and an abortion might be the only resource available. In such rare cases, an abortion is understandable; however, for most cases it is just inhuman.
