Same Sex Adoptions

Studies have shown that children tend to blossom in same sex families.  The problem is that only one parent is allowed to adopt.  By not allowing both parents to adopt the child, it means that he law can not protect the rights of the co-parent.  The co-parent should have rights such as knowing that if something where to happen to the other parent they would still be able to care for the child.  The co-parent should also have rights if for some reason the couple should split up.  The co-parent needs to be allowed to make decisions such as for medical treatment or for educational purposes.

Research has also shown that there are really is not a difference between straight and non straight couples when it comes to parenting.  Both want what is best for their children.  Just because a child is raised by a same sex couple does not meant that they are going to grow up to be non straight.  But they do tend to handle people of different cultures better.

The outcome of a child being raised in a same sex home is unknown.  Many same sex couples are finding it more and more difficult to adopt and instead turn to insemination or sera get mothers.  Some states allow one parent to adopt and then the second parent to do a domestic stepparent adoption.  There are no international adopting countries that allow same sex couples either and if you gay or lesbian and single, if you keep your sexuality under wraps you may have better luck adopting.  In Massachusetts, California, and Vermont, where same sex marriage is legal, they still recommend that the second parent file for stepparent adoption.  This way the federal government will recognize the legality of the parent-child relationship.

Other than there unique hang ups and legal difficulty, the process is typically the same.  A home study is required.  So are the standard background checks.  None of the steps are different, only getting those accomplished takes some breaking through taboos and stereo types.  In general a lot of red tape.  In some cases things tend to go right through when the judge is on your side, if he or she is not then there could be friction there too.

Regardless of where you decide to adopt, one thing is for certain due to how new this idea is for mainstream America same sex adoptions are likely to be an uphill battle for some time to come.  Gay and lesbian couples will still be able to adopt after overcoming the challenges of their sexual orientation.  And though little is known about how same sex parenting impacts a child raised in these circumstances, one could scrutinize that many have adopted already, and there are a lot of well adjusted children living in those situations, or it would not still be allowed.

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Same Sex Adoption

For individuals in same sex partnerships who wish to have children, adoption is one a few options. The legality of same sex adoption, however, can often be ambiguous, obscure, or just plain confusing as it varies from state to state in the U.S. and across countries around the world.

One form of same sex adoption is called "second parent adoption," in which one partner can adopt the biological or adoptive child of the other partner without terminating the parental rights of the parent. So, theoretically, one member of a same sex partnership could adopt a child as a single parent. Then, the other partner could adopt the same child, essentially making each partner a parent to the child. This process would not work in Florida or Utah. The former forbids adoption by a homosexual, and the latter does not allow adoption by anyone in a cohabiting relationship that is not a legal marriage. Oddly enough, single people may adopt in Utah.

Second parent adoption within same sex partnerships is explicitly permitted in the states of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington, as well as in Washington, D.C. In the remaining 38 states, however, any laws regarding adoption by same sex couples are ambiguous at best. With the legal status of civil unions and same sex marriages being pushed to the forefront as a social issue, it may only be a matter of time before these ambiguities and obscurities are shaken out.

Much of the reason for the lack of explicit language on same sex adoption is that it is relatively new as a social issue, at least within the public consciousness. Another reason is because it is often seen as such a controversial subject. It is a hotly contested issue, with firmly held opinions on each side.

Some opponents object to gay adoption on moral grounds. They feel that homosexuality is amoral in itself, and so adoption by homosexuals is amoral by extension. They may also believe that participants in same sex relationships cannot perform as well as parents as traditional heterosexual parenting units. Several organizations, among them the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics hold that homosexual couples are just as qualified to be parents as heterosexual couples.

There are others who fear that being raised by a same sex couple will influence a child to be homosexual, or that there may be a detrimental effect on the child's overall well-being. Research has shown that this is not the case, however, as the sexual orientation of parents is not related to that of their children and that children of same sex couples perform just as well on several measures of overall well-being. What's more, a study conducted UCLA estimates that disallowing adoption by LGBT couples can cost the United States between $87 million and $120 million annually. Researchers say this is because these couples are often willing to adopt children that heterosexual couples are not, such as older children, children with behavioral problems, and children who are HIV positive. If these children go unadopted, the financial strain of their care falls on the foster care system, sapping government funds.

Same sex adoption remains a controversial issue, but one on which progress is being made. Same sex couples interested in adopting are encouraged to research laws in their area and investigate possible options.

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Adolescent Pregnancy

Adolescent pregnancy in ninety nine percent of the cases is unwanted and is the major consequence of adolescent sexual activity, other than STDs. This issue has affected youth, families, educators, health care professionals, and government official. A study on the high school adolescents has concluded that forty eight percent of the males and forty five percent of the females are sexually active. One fourth of the high school students had sexual contact by fifteen years of age. The average age of boys is sixteen and a girl is seventeen, who have had intercourse. Ninety percent of adolescents, in the age range of fifteen to nineteen, say their pregnancy is unintended.

Seventy four percent of females above fourteen years and sixty percent of females below fifteen years have reported to have involuntary sex. Fifty percent of the adolescent pregnancies are within the time period of six months after the initial sexual intercourse. More than nine hundred thousand teenagers are reported to have become pregnant every year in the United States. Fifty one percent of the adolescent pregnancies result in live birth, thirty five percent result in induced abortion and fourteen percent result in stillbirths or miscarriages. Four out of ten adolescent females get pregnant, before they turn twenty, at least once.  Twenty five percent of adolescent deliveries aren’t the mother’s first child. When a teenager gives birth to her first child, she increases the risk of begetting another child. One third of the adolescent parents are themselves result of adolescent pregnancies. 

There are many reasons why adolescents choose to become sexually active at an early stage in life. The reasons can be early pubertal development, poverty, sexual abuse in childhood, lack of parent’s attention, lack of career goals, family and cultural patterns of early sex, substance abuse, dropping out from school and poor school performance. Factors which discourage an adolescent to become sexually active are stable family environment, parental supervision, good family income, regular prayers, connectedness with parents and living with complete family and both the parents. The factors which are responsible for the consistent use of contraceptive among adolescents are academic success, anticipation for successful future, and involvement in a stable relationship.

There are many medical risks associated with adolescent pregnancies. Adolescents who are less than seventeen years are at a greater risk of developing medical complications, when compared to adult females. The risk is even more in teenagers below seventeen. The weight of the child, given birth by an adolescent, is very low in these pregnancies. It is usually below 2.5 kilogram. The rate of neonatal birth is also three times greater in adolescents, when compared to adults. Other problems caused by adolescent pregnancies are prematurity of the child, birth of underweight child, poor maternal weight gain, poor nutritional status, anemia, STDs and hypertension induced due to pregnancy.    

Although there is an increase in the use of contraceptive methods by adolescents during their first sexual contact, only sixty three percent of the high school students have said to use condom while having sex previously. Adolescents, who use prescription contraceptives, delay their doctor’s visit until the time they become sexually active for over a year.

According to a research, youngsters who have participated in sex education programs which gave them knowledge about contraception methods, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases and youngsters who involved in discussions in order to get a clear picture, used contraceptives and condoms effectively without any increase in sexual activity. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention has said that the solution for unwanted adolescent pregnancies and STDs are barrier contraceptive use and abstinence.

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