According to the teenage pregnancy site www.dosomething.org/, “8 in 10 teen dads don’t marry the mother of their child”. An Average American views unplanned, unmarried pregnancy by teenagers a bad thing. Pregnancy will result in an extreme alteration of the lives of a female teen and possibly the father of her baby. But a question arises that modern culture is not granting full relevance with regard to teen pregnancy, should the father of the baby have a say in how the mother proceeds after her pregnancy?
Scientifically speaking, the baby is half the mother’s and half the father’s. The zygote is half the father’s sperm and half the mother’s egg. However, the mother must carry around the baby in her body for nine months if she decides to keep it; as opposed to the father who may or may not provide support for his partner during this time. Other arguments exist and almost all support the fact that the decision of the baby’s fate resides with the mother. While it is true the mother carries the baby and ultimately births it, does the father still deserve a say in the babies future?
Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding teenage fathers portrays them of poor quality. It portrays them as deserters, or forceful men who coerce women who want a child to get an abortion. This cultural stereotype must be broken by these teens who decide they are mature enough to make decisions about their sexuality but not mature enough to accept the outcomes. Feminism, a popular movement among the young women of modern America, believes that a woman has the only voice in the matter regarding the fate of her child. Other circumstances can even involve the baby being born and the mother refusing her sire to have no part in the life of their child.
Even with an understood stereotype in place, this seems like a double standard for today’s male juveniles. They are supposed to accept the woman’s decision whether it is to have an abortion or to raise the baby. Then, he is either supposed to financially contribute to the raising of the child or detach himself and let the baby be aborted. This conundrum began with a failure from teen dads abandoning the woman they became sexually involved with. Their failure has led to the necessity, if need be, for the woman to be completely detached from the feelings of her flaky masculine counterpart.
But men, contrary to cultural stigmas, can have feelings. What if they want the baby? What if they want to raise it? If so, shouldn’t they be allowed to have a say in the fate of the child? The teenage sire should be allowed to influence a woman’s decision and his opinion should matter. American culture must evolve to a place that allows sexually consenting teenagers to both have a say in the fate of their unborn child.
American Cultural Icons 