I'll have what she's having...

Aside from being Pro-Life, my ideal option for teenage pregnancy is adoption. I'd mentioned before about a couple who have been trying to adopt a child from China for over 6 years now. As you know, China politics when it comes to adoption are rather strict and a long process. Also, considering after about 3 years into the process, China hosted the Beijing Olympics, which of course, set it back even further. This couple is the most amazing, caring and loving couple I've ever had the privilege to know. I could not imagine a better couple to be parents to a young child. I had even said to my mom that if my some immaculate conception I were to get pregnant, I would give them my child in a heartbeat. Fortunately, the process has dragged on long enough and this couple will receive a little baby girl from China in March!


Here's a famous couple who adopt...and adopt...and adopt...and adopt...

So another good option would be to give the baby to Social Services, who would then put them in foster homes until they find permanent adoption or foster parents. Now I know the idea of a foster home is scary to some because it's portrayed through the media as being a dangerous, abuse-filled environment. In reality, I personally know a family who've been taking in foster children for over 5 years now. With three children total,  these parents decided that they wanted to make a difference in the lives of these abandoned kids. I have never seen a closer family than that of the Sargent family. They've had children come and go in their houses, some more disciplined than others, but they still treated each child with the same amount of love and respect that they had for their own children. So who says foster homes are scary?

Let's stick with the birth control.

I just had so much fun writing about birth control last time, that I thought: "Hey..people don't get bored reading the same thing twice, right?"

Well, for your sake, I'll change it up a bit.
WARNING: Boys, I'm sorry. This topic may make you slightly uncomfortable.

In my last post, I mentioned a lot about the birth control pill, which is evidently designed for women. 

If you read the last post, you'll see that I mentioned a BUNCH of side effects of the pill and how it can really screw up a women's hormonal system and lead to crazy things like mood swings or depression (thank you Kailey Romanick for the comment on my last blog with the previous information. M. Noecker, that counts as a source.)
So as I was saying, the pill often has negative side effects on women and can also sometimes have impacts on their reproductive systems. Imagine a situation where a young girl, say 16, is told by her doctor that she must be on a permanent birth control (meaning no periods) or else she becomes infertile. (I know I've mentioned this before, but bare with me here.)
Well, as scared as I was faced with this situation, I couldn't help but think : Wait a minute here, if I don't ever have a period..how will I even be able to have a kid? Doesn't a woman need to be able to have a period and ovulate in order to get pregnant? I just kept thinking how both of those options that the doctor gave me were completely useless, cause either way, it seems I won't be having kids.
Naturally, I'm going to complain about this to people. So I was talking to someone (again, can't remember who. I'm horrible with names.) and they said "well, what if the man took birth control instead of the woman?"

...Interesting.


So here's my proposal : I believe scientists and doctors alike should come up with a form of birth control for a man to take to help reduce the chances. Some of you may say : well he does, he has the condom. My counter-argument is that the condom doesn't even affect the guys' reproductive system.
I feel that, if the women has been on birth control for years and years, it's bound to take its toll on the whole system, right? And that baby is developing inside said uterus for 9 months! So wouldn't it make more sense for the male reproductive system to be affected, and not the female? You know, for the sake of the development of the kid?
Give me your thoughts! (if you actually managed to follow any of that... even I had a hard time.)

xoxo Gossip Girl.




JUST KIDDING!


Love, Crystal :)

Birth Control...Yay or Nay?

I was having a discussion with someone the other day (cannot remember who it was for the life of me), and we were talking about birth control. The term "Birth Control" has many specific definitions. It can mean the pill, the shot, the ring, a condom, any form of vasectomy or tube-tying, or even abstinence. I'm sure there are many more out there that I haven't heard of, but nonetheless. With all of these methods, how can we know which one works and which one is a waste of money? Well, clearly the cheapest and most effective way to prevent birth is abstinence, but let's be real here...we're living in a generation full of hormones. Here's the two most common birth control methods and they're possible side effects:

The pill: Ladies, this one's for you. It seems like you can walk down the street for not 5 minutes, and I guarantee you will walk by at least one girl who's on the pill. I've recently found out that girls as young as 11 or 12 are on the pill! I mean, when confronted about it, many girls will say it's used to "clear up the acne". Right.

Now, I'm not in a great position to debate birth control seeing as it's been prominent in my household for as long as I can remember. I personally have been on birth control since I was about 13 years old. Birth Control Pills seemed to be the only way (according to my doctor) to cure, or at least cover up the condition I have called : Endometriosis. (say that one five times fast). Oh, and by the way, I hate it. The pill is designed to change your hormones in order to prevent ovulation during the 3 *cough* OTHER *cough* weeks of the month. I have been on pills that made me borderline bi-polar. Not to mention how expensive it was! You're looking at an average of 30$ a month for this. You're paying the equivalent of your cell-phone bill for a tiny little pill that is NOT 100% effective.

A condom: Alright, we all know that condoms are not completely effective. In fact, they are 98% effective, if used right. (I should be citing my source right about here, but I learned that from an episode of Friends about 7 years ago.) So needless to say, no one should rely completely on using a condom to prevent pregnancy. They break, they slip, the expire, etc... Do not, I repeat, DO NOT rely completely on condoms when having sex. It's best if each person is on some form of birth control.

The Big Decision.

Before writing this post, I'd like to announce that I personally am Pro-Life. That being said, I do respect other opinions in the matter and I do not wish to offend anyone with my opinion. I'm just stating what I feel.


Now, I'd like to tell a story. Recently, I had called my best friend over to my house so we could catch up. We had a huge falling out and didn't speak for nearly 3 months, though we had been best friends for 10 years at that point. I had randomly called her over to my house, and so she came. She sat down on my bed and I asked her ''So how've you been?'' and she responded by telling me ''I'm pregnant.''

Wow.

I mean, to be honest, I wasn't all too surprised. She had had a pregnancy scare before, and I took care of her. That being said, I also explained to her just how important protection was. I guess it went in one ear and out the other.

So you can imagine how I might have reacted when she told me that she was positive that she would get an abortion. She had been raised in an environment that encouraged abortion above all other options. Naturally, I had encouraged her to hold the baby until the delivery, and then give it up for adoption. I knew this wouldn't have worked anyway because she has a very selfish personality and would not be able to carry the baby for 9 months and then give it up. Which I understand, many people are faced with that. However, I personally know an amazing couple who have been trying to adopt a child for 6 years now, with no luck. So you can see why I might encourage her to give it up, and give the baby a chance. Also, (warning: about to get rather personal), my doctor has told me that I am most likely to be infertile for the rest of my life due to a condition I have. I tried my best not to sound selfish when telling her that by getting an abortion, it's almost a slap in the face to me. However, it was her life and not mine. But it was also the baby's life. Now I know she was in absolutely no financial state to keep her child, seeing as her dad had no job and her mom works part-time at the mall, but nonetheless, there's always another solution.

As a matter of fact, while writing this post, I came to a realization that within the time I started writing this blog, to the time I ended it...she had her abortion. I guess I'm in a state of shock right now.


Lots of Love,
Crystal


  

How early is too early to get pregnant?

Teenage pregnancy is such a controversial subject in today's society. Some people frown upon it as if there was nothing worse that could happen to a young girl. Others find that it should be glorified through tv shows like Teen Mom. Personally, I think the entire buisness should  be left to the parents and family of those teens, rather than the entire world. Of course, in certain situations of child abuse, the more people that know, the easier it is to stop. When a girl, especially at a young age, is faced with the discovery that she is pregnant, she's got enough problems on her hands than to worry about what people are saying about them. Suddenly, she has to make probably the biggest decision of her life...does she keep the baby, put it up for adoption, or have an abortion.
People say that having a baby is life altering, but I believe that just making the decision alone is life altering. I could not stand to know that I could have had a child, someone with my own DNA, but I got it aborted instead. As a teenager, I actually know one man, a good friend of mine, who got a girl pregnant when he was only 16 and she was 15. They decided together to have an abortion, as neither of them were in the position to raise a kid. To this day, that guy lives in total regret of his decision and not one day goes by that he doesn't think about how he could have a child in his arms at that moment.
On the other hand, I also am very good friends with a girl who got pregnant at 16 and decided to keep the baby at all costs. She is currently living in an apartment with her boyfriend (also the father of the baby) and receiving funding from the government to help pay day to day bills. Her little baby, also my nephew, is celebrating his one year birthday TODAY!
There is, and always will be two sides to an argument. Throughout my blog, you'll see that both sides will be argued and I will leave it up to you to decide your opinion on this touchy subject.

Til next time!
Love, Crystal Barron :)