DNA Testing of Pregnant Teenagers
A Florida bill to require DNA testing of pregnant girls under the age of 14 has been voted down. The bill would have asked doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers (including abortion providers) to collect DNA from the girl and her fetus for the purpose of identifying the father for prosecution. Sex with minors under the age of 16 in Florida is a crime.
Opponents are concerned that:
- Young pregnant girls would be discouraged from seeking healthcare for fear their boyfriends would be prosecuted. (Although I wonder how many teenagers keep up with legislation surrounding pregnancy.)
- Confidentiality between a doctor and a patient would be violated. (Healthcare providers already have to report instances of child abuse although presumably they’d use their best judgment as to whether the teenager engaged in consensual sex or not.)
- Sex between two teenagers would be criminalized. (ARGH. As a parent, I dread having to face this issue in the future.)
More on the bill at A Bird and a Bottle.
What about the problem with forcing women (girls) to have an amniocentesis? It’s not like their is zero risk to the baby while having one. Or were they going to wait and test the baby if the mother carried to term?
That idea seems a quite radical. Criminalizing sex between two teenagers… I can already see the legal battles coming.
Criminalizing two teenagers… hmm. It doesn’t seem practical. It’s up to the teenagers. They should do what they want really.
Dear Hesin,
Hello,im 14 and might be PREGNAT and the doctors said im not but i missed all my periods and my boobs are tendder my belly to BIGG like wow!!!!!!! You can feel something in mt belly,but im not pregnat???? YEa i dont get it so….. i got all the stagesof beging pregnat. A pregnat women asked ” ARE U PREGNAT”?? and I said ” I dont know”!!!So if you can send me a e-mail that woul be grate!! Bye
Love,
Shniesha Hall
Hi I am 14 and pregnant. I think there is nothing wrong with being pregnant at 14 and over because me and my boyfriend are both very exited about the birth and we are going to get maried when we turn 16-17. I am about 7 months into pregnancy at the moment. Daniel and I have been Boyfriend and Girlfriend for over 3 years now and we love each other very much. I beleive there is nothing wrong with falling pregnant at 14 and over because even just knowing there is a little life growing inside me is just amazing. I love being pregnant and I am going to have a second child with Daniel around a year after my baby is born.