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by Hero (19.7k points)
edited by
10 year olds can’t have babies

17 Answers

0 like 0 dislike
ago by Novice (600 points)

This claim is entirely untrue. 

Although it may be rare, once the female body goes through ovulation nearly 2 weeks before the first period, pregnancy is possible. https://www.yourfertility.org.au/everyone/timing According to BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34195973 in the year 2015, a 10 year old victim in Paraguay arrived at the hospital 20 weeks pregnant. We see in the same article more than 700 girls younger than 14 years old also gave birth. On average women begin to ovulate between the ages of 12-14, but it can happen to girls as young as 8. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/can-you-get-pregnant-at-any-age 

That being said, pregnancy at a young age could be life threatening due to narrow pelvises. It can cause obstructed labor, and leads to risk of pelvic inflammatory disease. 

Just because pregnancy at a younger age is rare, does not mean it is impossible. This claim is untrue. 

False
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ago by (180 points)
This statement is false, as any person with a uterus has the potential to get pregnant, no matter what age they are, and there are many situations where young girls will find themselves more likely to become pregnant. For example, according to the World Health Organization, there are about 650 million child brides globally as of 2021. Being in this position and so young, they have limited bodily autonomy and less knowledge about safety precautions to take, leading to pregnancy.

Source:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy
False
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ago by Newbie (300 points)

This statement is false. Pregnancy can occur as soon as ovulation begins according to this article from live science and Dr. Simon https://www.livescience.com/youngest-age-give-birth-pregnancy Although it is rare, ovulation can also begin before one has their first period. An article by Viera Fertility states that “Most girls between the ages of 11 and 13 start ovulating within six months to a year after they have had their first period. Although rare, it is possible for a girl to get pregnant before she has her first period.” https://www.vierafertility.com/blog/age-of-fertility/#:~:text=Most%20girls%20between%20the%20ages,have%20had%20their%20first%20period. 

Girls typically will start their period between ages 10-15 but can also start as early at 8 years old. With these facts combined it is scientifically possible for someone at the age of 10 or even younger to get pregnant. 

Additionally, outside of scientific evidence, there are many real life examples of girls the age of 10 being pregnant documented by many different news outlets such as ABC, NBC, BBC, etc. See provided links:

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34195973.amp  Perla aged 10 gets pregnant and gives birth after being raped by her brother.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna46998940 and https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/04/06/10-year-old-girl-gives-birth-to-daughter

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/07/14/10-year-old-abortion/

False
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ago by Newbie (300 points)
This claim is false. According to TeensHealth, "Most girls get their first period when they're around 12. But sometimes it comes a few years earlier or later. Every girl's body has its own schedule." As most people should know, once a girl gets her period she is able to concieve a baby. Since some girls could get heir period at the age of 10 that means a 10 year old could in fact get pregnant. An NBC news story reported that, "A 10-year-old girl in Colombia recently gave birth via caesarian section, placing her among the youngest mothers in the world." NBC is a trustworthy source, and since they reported this case it shows even major news outlets know that young girls can get pregnant, proving this claim that 10 year olds cant get pregnant, false.

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/menstruation.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna46998940
False
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ago by Newbie (260 points)
This comment is under a thread discussing Charlie Kirk. It replies to a comment by user @blastedoff.bsky.social stating "Would you force a ten year old girl to go through a pregnancy and deliver a baby, because Charlie would have. Nothing of value was lost. One less nazi hate monger"

Ten year olds can get pregnant and have children. Puberty onset averages between 8 and 13, but precocious puberty can cause menstruation even earlier. When menstruation starts, conception can occur in cases of rape. In Paraguay, where abortion is illegal with exception only if the mother's life is in danger, hundreds of girls under 13 are forced to carry to term. The youngest documented case of child pregnancy is five year old Lina Medina giving birth in the 1930s.

Spreading misinformation can be harmful and dangerous. Young children forced to give birth have a much higher risk of complications, and awareness should be spread on the topic.

(1) https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34195973

(2) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy

(3) https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2022/youngest-girls-who-get-pregnant-have-highest-risk-of-poor-outcomes-study-finds.html

(4) https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/factsheets/puberty

(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Medina
False
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ago by Newbie (300 points)

This could not be more false. Although the event of child birth happening to a young child is very rare and extreme, it does not mean that it can't occur. A story published by BBC News highlights a rare situation in which a "10 year-old in Paraguay made headlines when she arrived at the hospital 20 weeks pregnant." This story alone proves this claim to be utterly false. Additionally, the number of rape victims are only increasing as time progresses, so the claim that "10 year olds can't get pregnant" is such an out of touch point of view that doesn't really make any sense.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34195973

False
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ago by Newbie (300 points)
Although it's crazy and hard to think about, 10 year olds can get pregnant. According to the Mayo Clinic, girls typically get their first period between ages 10 and 16 and 98% get it before they turn 15. In simple terms, a girl needs a period in order to have a child, although it is rare at 10, it is very possible.

Secondly, ABCNews made a report in 2012 regarding a 10-year-old Colombian girl that gave birth to a baby girl, in which they stated made her one of the youngest mothers ever. They explain how it is difficult for a young girl to naturally give birth, so a cesarean section was performed. This shows that it is not impossible for a 10 year old to give birth.

The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit medical center and research institution that is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the United States. Their content comes from physicians, scientists, and healthcare. ABCNews is a well-known and major U.S. broadcasting news organization and they employ professional journalists who adhere to accuracy, fairness, and verification.

Mayo Clinic - https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/parenting/signs-your-child-is-about-to-start-their-first-period/

ABCNews - https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/04/06/10-year-old-girl-gives-birth-to-daughter
False

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