Friday, December 21, 2007

Pregnancy and the College Girl

Jamie Lynn Spears (sister of Britney Spears) who plays the popular, teenage virgin on “Zoey 101” is pregnant. The news of her pregnancy sparked off a controversy about sex, contraceptives and teen pregnancy. Parents worry that the news would send the wrong message that it is cool to be sixteen and pregnant as American teens regard her TV character as their role model.

In mainland China, if a female student is pregnant, she would be expelled from school or college. This spells total devastation for her future. For this reason, both teachers and doctors are often empathetic and apparently, it is the unwritten, standard procedure to help such girls undergo abortion to save their future. Rare is the case of one who would dare upset society's propriety and one's own prospects by giving birth in such circumstances.

I once conducted a debate on the moral issue of abortion and the majority of the forty odd students in the senior class concluded that the mother's future should come before the foetus. In other words, pragmatism should rule the day.

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