posted February 04, 2009 12:40 PM            

A report by UNICEF highlights India's high rate of child marriage as a major reason for the large number of maternal and infant deaths.

UNICEF released their State of the World's Children-2009 report that also revealed shocking figures about how India is still living the curse of child marriages, one of the major causes of the high maternal mortality rate.

High rate of child marriages in India is perhaps one of the reasons why women in developing countries like ours are 300 times more likely to die during childbirth than those in the developed world.

Evidence shows that those who become mothers in their teens are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s.

Though India has emerged as a key economic power globally and has even reached the moon, more than half of its population is struggling for basic facilities like safe childbirth and care after delivery - simple measures that the state has failed to provide.

posted February 23, 2009 11:31 PM              

How is this any owrse than having 13 yr olds popping babies out of marriage ?

I think our teen years are hormonal-bombs and every decision we take and behaviour we cultivate makes up the most of what our life will be about.

Everywhere , in the High schools in the US or aby other developed country - teen sex and related problems are rampant.

It seems to me that our indian tradionalists consider marriage during that hormonal road rage as a means of safeguard - the teens - usually a couple of 16 - 18 year olds are in a commitment when they explore their sexual urges -

the chances of them catching an STD are NIL -compare that to something like what we have here in the U.S.

http://www.avert.org/stdstatisticusa.htm

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A study presented in 2008 revealed that around 26% of young American women aged 14-19 are infected with at least one of the four most common sexually transmitted infections.2 This amounts to around 3.2 million female teenagers. The most widespread infection is HPV (human papilloma virus, which can cause genital warts and cervical cancer), found in 18% of young women. In second place is chlamydia, with a 4% infection rate. The study found that African American teenagers are most severely affected; around 48% of young African American women have an STD, compared to 20% of young white women.

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The migrant labour population here in India on the other hand that marry late have very high rates of STD - being in contact with sex workers early on and then when they marry their wives are affected

We really need more awareness on condom use for these men.

posted February 24, 2009 03:39 PM            

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Mannu surely you agree that teen Sex and teen parenthood is better when the parents involved are Spouses rather than not ?

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Better in what way? The only advantage I see here is to the male in the marriage. He gets to vent. It is dangerous to the child who is to be born and to the mother who is just being used as victim. She is being forced in to marriage by her parents .

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How is this any worse than having 13 yr olds popping babies out of marriage ?

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In india it is impossible to raise a ******* child. Even Kunti in Mahabharat, a goddess like person, dumped her baby
for some one to pick up. She chose not to raise a ******* . You might argue that Mahabharat is a myth. How do we know
what else is going there in reality. How many are getting abortions? Therefore, the question of to have or not to have sex before
marriage is a moral one and can be left alone for the moment. IMO, Marriage is just a license that society gives to couple.
It is invented by priests who capitalized on the guilt of people.

The article tries to highlight the ignorance of indian populace. Atleast if the boys are not allowed to marry, they will learn to control
themselves probably by youknowwhat. But no, these parents decides for their children on what is best. And based on what? Stupid
traditions like these. Do you know why Gandhi wrote the book "My experiment with truth". Its because he too got married young and was crying inside.
I mean look at him surrounding himself with women all the time and even sleeping naked with 19 year olds in his cottage. God knows what demons
he was battling inside.

So these parents they follow stupid traditions and perhaps the not well to do , wants to dump the responsibility of the girl child on
their inlaws. Indian woman has been a victim for thousand of years and still are in rural areas. There are cases of young women being burned on the funeral
pyres of their husbands as late as the twentieth century. And no hindu scholar has spoken against it. Why? for ideals? Screw ideals.

You should have seen the plight of such girls trying to escape from their fate while at the same time the hindu priests and people form a circle around her and the pyre and push her towards the burning flame. Jeez.

It is why some people are p1ssed when you rave about patriarchical society. The world has come out of it. Witches were burnt because they did not believe in their God.

The child born from 13 year olds in US may survive because her parents are forgiving and her psyche is in comparatively better condition. Most of all the medical facilities are good here. But in India, just forget about it. People cannot even get a simple shot in rural areas. Their waters are dirty and polluted. Their air is polluted, no one gives a damn when trees are cut in the name of progress.

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Everywhere , in the High schools in the US or aby other developed country - teen sex and related problems are rampant.

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If you are talking of problems of STDs then I agree with you today because these diseases do interfere in the health of adult
and provide hindrances to the yet to be born child. So yeah people who do not worry about the consequence should not
have sex in their teens or even as adults if they are not able to take care of their children.

But what if tomorrow , science finds a cure for every known STD? Then society will not condemn the sexing up with each other.