Does it upset you when ill people reproduce?

Post Reply New Topic

There's this girl at my bible study. She is not a very healthy person. She almost died as a baby because of a defective heart or something, and she is pre-diabetic, and has a crooked spine, and several other things I can't remember. And she has bloodless, slightly sallow skin, not very attractive, and a body shape which suggests she's less-than-healthful.
I'm not trying to be mean or anything. Like really. Just everything about this girl breathes unhealthy genetics. And bad genes run in her family from both sides. Anyways, she was telling us during bible study about how her one aunt (also with a host of illnesses, worse than hers) had been trying to get pregnant for the longest time, and finally did. She was happy about this news!
I felt like yelling at her, and asking her if she really thought that was something to be glad about. Now, despite mother nature yelling at her to stop trying, this woman is going to bring a baby into the world who will most certainly have a plethora of health problems. And now it will have to undergo extra drama during its life, extra worries, and extra costs for medications and treatments.

I know this probably sounds terribly harsh, but it is true if you think about it. How would you have reacted?
I don't mean to offend anyone. I don't think it's bad that they exist or anything, but they should have at least thought about how it would affect their baby before getting pregnant. It seems like selfish thinking. It for some reason just really pissed me off when this girl told us about that. I practically had to force myself from making any comments.

Natural selection doesn't apply to humans anymore ya know.

Let em live their life the way want to I say. If health problems are their future, then so be it. They better have good health insurance.

Yeah, but what if the kid grows up and they really wish they were healthier, and didn't have all these problems they had to take care of?

You are not alone. I am against eugenic abortion; I would prefer and hope that the parties involved would be mature enough to realize the risks involved and make their decision carefully. When I learned that my ex (dx'd with terminal neurological condition) and her spouse (severe bone disorder) were 'proud to announce they were going to try and have kids' I about threw a fit. With both conditions, there is a 50% chance of transmission - known correlation - giving their child a 25% chance of having both. If that is their decision, so be it (not the one I would make) but I don't believe they realize the consequences of their actions. This is not just a quality of life issue, but a potential death sentence.


M.

The first basic right, is the right to life.

It doesn't upset me at all. They have the same rights to reproduce as everyone else.

Rights come with responsibilities. If a couple knowingly takes on those risks, then the welfare of that child is their responsibility. While my wife and I have talked about how we would like children of our own, we understand that our respective health issues make that a poor course of action. So we will be the best aunt and uncle we can, will look at adopting if we choose to, and took the measures necessary to ensure that we would not bring into this world a child we could not care for. [Edit] If it were purely a matter of an ASD, it would depend solely on my ability to care for that child. My son is HFA, and I would not do anything that would take him away. In me and my wife's case, there are multiple factors that come into consideration. [/edit]


M.

People with AS are in the same boat in regards to disability.

That's irony right there.

I can understand why you think it may be a strain on the parents' resources and probably the community's as well. Maybe it is unfair to the child to be brought into the world with a chance of being unhealthy, but there is still a chance the child will be OK. There is always a chance that a child of two very healthy people will NOT be OK. We just have to hope (and pray if that is what you believe) that the baby will be in great health.

Besides, stupid people reproduce all the time and we cant stop that either.

It isn't irony. With the right education someone with AS can lead a pretty normal life and it isn't ongoing.

And her problems are all very genetically embedded. That's why it bugs me.

I know what you mean. I myself have told my brother many times he should not have kids, as there is a chance they may come out like me. But he says it doesn't matter. I just don't know how people can possibly live with themselves knowing they passed on something to their children.

I don't think it's irony, as I think it's mostly, like physical conditions. Like I would be very upset if a nice or nephew of mine was ever diagnosed with epilepsy. I mean, do you think those meds, those appts, the insurance and all that is cheap? Or easy? Because eventually, you know, as I found out, they're going to have to start paying for it all themselves, as my parents say they're MY medications, they're MY copays, and making the phone calls, setting up MY appointments, calling MY insurance.

If I had a niece or nephew who was diagnosed with AS, I would actually try to help them receive what I never did. I would show them how their interests, and behaviors, and difficulties aren't so weird.

I think that every person on this planet should procreate.

I am having a tough time reconciling your "bible study" with your view of reproduction by individuals you deem genetically undesirable. What religion is this?