Time's Nancy Gibbs Thinks "Pregnancy Pact" Teens Are Responsible

Jessica — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Everyone's got an opinion about the "pregnancy pact" teens from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Time, which originally publicized the teens alleged agreement to get knocked up together, has an opinion piece from Editor-at-Large Nancy Gibbs about how she thinks everyone is being too judgmental about these beleaguered teens. Her evidence? A couple of mean old blogs referring to the pregnant under-16-year-olds as "marauding narcissistic sluts." (Sorry, that made me laugh). Gibbs suggests that these teens are actually doing the mature thing by having these babies because they're "trying to do the right thing in a difficult situation." This conclusion is based on the one pregnant girl from Gloucester who went on Good Morning America to deny the existence of the pact.

Pregnant Gloucester 17-year-old Lindsey Oliver told GMA, "There was a group of girls already pregnant that decided they were going to help each other to finish school and raise their kids together," and to that statement, Gibbs adds, "What if the 'problem' in evidence at Gloucester High has more to do with the rejection of abortion than the acceptance of teen pregnancy?"

Gibbs seems to be ignoring all the evidence presented in previous articles published in her own magazine. Whether or not there was actually a "pregnancy pact," the doctor and nurse at Gloucester High went on record to say the same girls came in for pregnancy tests multiple times and were disappointed when the results came back negative. But, even if these pregnancies had been unintentional, the fact that they're deciding to keep the babies shouldn't be seen as a positive thing — it should be received as a neutral choice. Gibbs points to recent statistics that the abortion rate among teen girls has fallen 55% since the 80s, and heralds that as " a willingness to take responsibility for the consequences," as if having an abortion isn't taking responsibility for consequences.

The problem of judgment in this article shouldn't necessarily be placed on the unwashed masses of the internet, it should be placed on Gibbs. Through her language, she's implying that choosing to have a baby is the more "responsible" choice for a pregnant teen. The entire point of choice is doing what's right for you, and making yourself happy should really be the "positive" thing in any pregnancy.

Give the Gloucester Girls A Break [Time]
Teen Baby Boom in a Mass. High School [ABC News]

Related: Pregnancy Boom At Gloucester High [Time]

Pregnant With Meaning [Guardian]

Earlier: Time Writer Goes On Today To Discuss Gloucester Pregnancy Pact
Pregnancy Pacts: Better Than Suicide Ones, Still Not That Good
Experts Don't Understand Why Fewer American Women Are Getting Abortions

Time Writer Goes On Today To Discuss Gloucester "Pregnancy Pact"

Jessica — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Kathleen Kingsbury, the Time scribe behind the now-infamous Gloucester "pregnancy pact" article went on Today to discuss the controversy brewing behind the piece. As previously reported, the Mayor of Gloucester, Carolyn Kirk, has said that the notion that the 17 pregnant Gloucester High students had made a pact to get pregs is unconfirmed, despite the fact that Gloucester's principal told Kingsbury otherwise. Some students are also denying that there was any sort of pact, but Kingsbury stands by her story and her sources. In fact, some sources are now saying that rumblings of the "pregnancy pact" were being heard by school social workers as early as last fall. Clip above.

Pregnant Student Denies Pregnancy Pact [AP via MSNBC]

Earlier: Pregnancy Pacts: Better Than Suicide Ones, Still Not That Good
Sex And Consequences

Jezebel: kathleen kingsbury

Time's Nancy Gibbs Thinks "Pregnancy Pact" Teens Are Responsible

Time Writer Goes On Today To Discuss Gloucester "Pregnancy Pact"