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The Forum > Article Comments > Branding girls for s*x > Comments

Branding girls for s*x : Comments

By Melinda Tankard Reist, published 6/5/2008

A contraceptive quick fix does nothing to address sexual abuse in Indigenous communities.

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JaneS, "are you saying, you could see merit in Melinda's argument, ..." What is MT argument? Is it summed up in the title "It’s about branding girls for sex."? I think it might be, and if it is then TRTL has a point.

An article discussing the downsides of these contraceptives vs say the downsides of a 12 year old girl having children, or any of the other rather sad trade offs surrounding this issue would of been timely. But that isn't what we have, is it? Well not quite - she also suggests that removing all 12 year old girls from their communities is an option - but surely she isn't serious. So what we have is an argument that essentially boils down to "giving contraception to girls means you are branding them for sex".

This sounds remarkably like the position of the Christian fundamentalists in the US, who prefer abstention to information and contraception because the latter encourage promiscuity. As as result we have the bizarre situation that US fundamentalists have higher teenage pregnancy rates than the rest of the US population. Given that choice most Australian families I know choose contraception & promiscuity, and it sounds like that is what the authorities are doing in this case as well.
Posted by rstuart, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 8:26:24 PM
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"the implanon treatment may, sad as it is, be the lesser of two evils."

TurnRightLeft, what evidence do you have that it is indeed the lesser of two evils? We may feel it instinctively... but isn't it time we started going less with our internal biases when it comes to indigenous issues and more with empirically supported evidence?
Posted by JaneS, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 11:56:20 AM
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JaneS asks for irrefuteable proof that supplying 12 year old girls with contraceptives is better than allowing them to become pregnant.

Maybe JaneS thinks that 12 year old girls can say no to drunken lustful men.

Maybe JaneS thinks that 12 year old girls who have been sexualised by exposure to pornography want to say no to sex.

Maybe JaneS is unaware of the dangers of pregnancy to mature women without adding the complications that pregnancy would visit on many immature bodies. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complications_of_pregnancy lists them as

1 Routine problems of pregnancy
1.1 Back pain
1.2 Constipation
1.3 Contractions
1.4 Dehydration
1.5 Edema
1.6 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
1.7 Hemorrhoids
1.8 Pica
1.9 Lower abdominal pain
1.10 Increased urinary frequency
1.11 Varicose veins
1.12 Abdominal separation

2 Serious problems of pregnancy
2.1 Ectopic pregnancy (implantation of the embryo outside the uterus)
2.2 Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) (gait and weightbearing syndrome)
2.3 Placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterus)

Then you have to ask yourself how can a child care for a baby in our complex society without a great deal if intervention? As a society we think childern are ill-equipped to raise a family that's why Australians aren't allowed to marry until they are 18, 16 in exceptional circumstances.
Posted by billie, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 2:28:04 PM
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I totally understand Reist's abhorrence at the treatment of these girls. What readers such as myself have been taken aback by is her rhetorical question: "Why weren't they removed"?

Reist probably genuinely wants protection for these young women, yet simply calling for their "removal" from their communities is not in itself the answer. On its own, such a response makes a nice fit with those Windschuttle/Bolt-ites who have argued that there was no "stolen generation" and that Aboriginal children always benefited from being removed from their communities.

Also, consider her argument that these Aboriginal girls are "primed for sex at ages considered unacceptable in the white community". Does this mean that the sexual abuse of girls and women is not rife in the "white community"? Why is the "white community" (whatever that is) yet again being used as a litmus test of social acceptability?

The questions raised by the treatment of the young women discussed in Reist's article are many and various. There are no easy answers. Hopefully, if there is an "inquiry" into this issue, we will hear a range of voices. These include writers such as Reist, as well as Aboriginal activists who consider this abuse to be totally unacceptable.
Posted by Jay Thompson, Thursday, 8 May 2008 10:28:37 PM
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Pregnant in Primary School?

Aboriginal girls (in remote communities, on AVERAGE) are sexually active earlier than other girls. Their may be some cultural and 'grooming' aspects to this, but much of it is simple biology.

We know about family breakdown (or non-formation) in aboriginals communities, where a child's NATURAL FATHER is living elsewhere or known...

Repeated research shows this has a HORMONAL EFFECT of fathernessness on girls...

Natural fathers protect their girls. Repeated research has proven that girls without their natural fathers (especially girls who have a 'step-father') are at risk.

They are three times more likely to become pregnant as teenagers and suffer from premature puberty. Girls who grow up with a man who is not their Natural father are likely to reach puberty in primary school!

Ther are also three to 5 time more likely to become pregnant as teenagers, have more sexual partners and related ill-effects like STD infections.

This is AFTER controlling for income, race, and other likely causes. Studies have considered Maori, Hispanic, European, Afro-american. It's not an effect of Race, not Class nor poveerty, it's FATHERLESSNESS.

Children NEED their NATURAL PARENTS.

ABC TV http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s958787.htm
New York Times: http://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20001224mag-puberty.html
New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg16422062.400-daddys-girl.html
Citations http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00380.x
Citations http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8624.00569

PartTimeParent@pobox.com
www.Fahters4Equality-Australia.org
Posted by partTimeParent, Monday, 12 May 2008 10:48:08 AM
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This is just in reponse to runner's comment that was posted and that in that runner said that it was a "cultural practice", and i just want to make it clear that what is happening in these communities are not part of indigenous culture at all. these problems are occuring in these communities because it is these communities that are being neglected. Is rape a part of white culture? Is prostitution a part of white culture? Is drug addiction a part of white culture? I dont understand why do people think that these things are a part of indigenous culture. why are'nt indigenous people acknowleged for their true culture, their song, dance and art that has survived in this country for man thousands of years. rape is not part of indigenous australians culture
Posted by mim, Monday, 12 May 2008 12:38:05 PM
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