Award Winning Writer Hilary Mantel Breaks Taboo on Teenage Pregnancies

Many doctors and other scientists are not so pleased with the words of the novelist, who claims that fourteen year old girls are perfectly capable on having children.

Maybe she is not that incorrect. There were days when fourteen year old girls got married and had kids indeed. Even in literature there is proof of that. In the Renaissance era it was common that fourteen year old girls already had children themselves. Consider reading “Romeo and Juliet”. It indicated that Juliet’s mother was about thirteen when she had Juliet and that Juliet was not fifteen yet either.

Human beings are weird species indeed when it comes to reproduction. We are indeed mature, before we are even full grown. This is very uncommon in nature. Most animals are not capable to reproduce while not fully grown.

And there is another aspect in our society: our social expectations. We are considered to have school career, go to college, find a job and settle later. According to recent sociology studies, people consider themselves mature at about the age of 26.

Considering the content of Mantel’s award winning book, you can call her an historic writer. We should consider her point of view.

Teenage pregnancies are politically correct not seen as a great thing. Yet, it is indeed a natural, biological fact that fourteen year old girls can bare children.

Maybe a lot teenage mother today get problems with social acceptance, due to trends. They are considered not the be ready for it. They should enjoy their lives, they should study at school. They should not have children.

Fact is that Great Britain, the home country of Hilary Mantel has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe.

In the world are there countries, especially in the Third World, were teenage marriages and pregnancies are still considered normal.

Have we lost our bound with nature? You may disagree with Hilary Mantel, but she does have a point.

How many working mums also have to put their children with their parents or in day care, because they have no time to take care of them? Is this less cruel than mothers who still attend school?

O, the career mum makes money from her absence. But stay at home mums don’t, just like teenage mothers, but they do have time for their kids.

We are indeed not flexible on the aspect of early motherhood.