National Institute Weighs in on “Pregnancy Pact”
Writing about the Gloucester High School pregnancy pact that wasn’t, Nancy Gibbs published an article in TIME titled “Give the Gloucester Girls a Break.” Concluding what was an otherwise astute article, Gibbs writes:
teen parents and their babies face long odds against success in life. Surely they deserve more sympathy and support than shame and derision, if the trend they reflect is not a typical teenager’s inclination to have sex but rather a willingness to take responsibility for the consequences.
Gibbs implies that carrying their babies to term is the only way to take real responsibility for unplanned pregnancies.
Responding to this position, National Institute President Kelli Conlin has a Letter to the Editor in the July 21 issue of TIME:
There are three ways that women and teenagers can take responsibility for a pregnancy: abortion, adoption or parenting. One option is not more responsible than the others. Each is a valid choice, as long as the chosen path is the best for the individual pregnant woman. And that is her decision to make.
Kelli Conlin, President, National Institute for Reproductive Health, NEW YORK CITY
Well said, Kelli.
By Tara Sweeney