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-   -   Teenage pregnancies, UK and Japan. (http://www.japanforum.com/forum/parenting-japan/21729-teenage-pregnancies-uk-japan.html)

Richard63 12-18-2008 09:28 PM

Teenage pregnancies, UK and Japan.
 
I understand that Japan has one of the lowest rates of teenage pregnancies in the world. Here in the UK it is high, and I was wondering, why this should be?
Some of the factors that could explain this, I have been trying to guess.

1. Is it looked upon as more shameful to be a young unmarried mother in Japan than in the UK?
2. Is it because of better contraception?
3. Financial reasons? In the UK, a single mother will get money given to her by the state and is given accomodation. The more children you have, the more money you get, and the more children you have, the bigger the house you will get. Does this happen in Japan?
4. General behavioural attitudes. I understand Japan has a very low crime rate compared with the UK, and there is more respect given to all sorts of aspects in life. Is this connected in any way?
5. Religion?

I hope there is someone out there that will be able to answer my question.
Thanks,
Richard.

Keaton421 12-18-2008 09:54 PM

1) Not sure
2) They have the same contraception as anywhere else
3) Pregnancy is low all around in Japan. There's no maternity leave
4) I doubt that
5) Definitely not. Very few Japanese are religious at all.

I wish I knew the real answer. Teen pregnancy is high in America too.

MissMisa 12-18-2008 10:00 PM

In my personal opinion the reason why people get pregnant here is because they don't care, they know they will get financial support, and they have no motivation or ambition in their lives. My friend had a child at 17, she dropped out of 6th form prior to that and her life had no direction. She lives comfortably on the money she gets, and although I understand bearing a child is no easy task, it's not as taxing as it once was especially in comparison to other jobs at the moment. I feel there is just no reason not to have a baby as a teenager anymore, if the reasons don't come from yourself.

lizzey 12-19-2008 12:17 AM

Teenage pregnancies are really high in the US too. Like MissMisa said is that teengers don't care. I am not quite sure why they are low in Japan probably like you said it has to do part of their society in having kids after marriage not before.

superheel 12-19-2008 12:24 AM

The only way to stop teenage pregnancy is sex education for teenagers.

lizzey 12-19-2008 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superheel (Post 647591)
The only way to stop teenage pregnancy is sex education for teenagers.

Yup that is the only way. Here in the US they do the whole sex and aids education that is mandatory to high school student and yet there is a lot of pregnancies.

EveV 12-19-2008 12:46 AM

It's an issue here to.
Although I have to disagree with you guys saying it has to do with " not caring".

I think pregnancy among teens is more often in UK and US than Japan because it's not shunned so much.
Think about it, which would you guys rather do? get pregnant and get a few dollars from the government and not get pregnant, go to school, get a real job and be able to have a comfortable amount of money to get whatever you want for yourself?
These girls are not getting pregnant because they want a few dollars in their pockets.
The responsibility and hard work of protecting and caring for an innocent life is not worth any amount of money.

@Misa your friend sounds lazy but don't let her be your whole opinion of what happens to girls when they get pregnant young. I have an array of close friends who have children now and they still remained in school even after the birth, most of them are even in college now. Moral of the rant, most teen pregnancies don't end in the girl ruining her life.

Aota 12-19-2008 12:56 AM

Advertise safe sex like on Degrassi. :o

I really hate seeing depressed pregnant teens walking around my school. It's annoying how they'd be so stupid as to get knocked up by a guy who jumps ship right after the pink band appears on the pee test .

CarleyGee 12-19-2008 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissMisa (Post 647532)
In my personal opinion the reason why people get pregnant here is because they don't care, they know they will get financial support, and they have no motivation or ambition in their lives. My friend had a child at 17, she dropped out of 6th form prior to that and her life had no direction. She lives comfortably on the money she gets, and although I understand bearing a child is no easy task, it's not as taxing as it once was especially in comparison to other jobs at the moment. I feel there is just no reason not to have a baby as a teenager anymore, if the reasons don't come from yourself.

One good reason, is the whole being huge for a few months.
I would hate that personally...

But I can see that if the government just gives you all this
money, then you wouldn't have to work for it, and you
wouldn't be able to see why it would be challenging otherwise.

Now, if pregnancy isn't scary anymore for teenagers,
I would hate to see people stop caring about STDs.

theAlphaDuck 12-23-2008 12:10 AM

hmmm before we all look down at teenage pregnancy...

lets remember the BIGGEST threat the western civilisation is facing....

Namely...AGING population.....

the gov. in the UK is very good.....it means that if you want to have a kid then money is not the first issue you think about....

how many kids have been aborted in other countries where this is not the case because would be mothers feel they wont be able to "afford" it..

Money is supposed to empower...not lead to the destruction of human life...

unless Japan gets a MASSIVE population boost it will be a poverty stricken island in around 50years....

unable to field a sizable workforce or army...it will be left crippled and defensless....

so when you see a teenager with a baby....you should think "Thank you"...


also i hear that the abortion rate in Japan is quite high....

from purely personal experience iv'e NEVER met a japanese person who knew the negative longterm effects of abortion on future health and FERTILITY...as well as future birth weight and foetal abnormalities...


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