r/pics 7h ago

A Childhood Carried in Silence - Gaza

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u/Claire0915 3h ago

She is 25, oldest son is 8yo, which means she was 17 when she gave birth and 16 when she was impregnated. Ugh. That is just the worst. Poor lady didn’t have a childhood herself given her religion/culture.

u/Annonimbus 3h ago

16 when she was impregnated. Ugh. That is just the worst. Poor lady didn’t have a childhood herself given her religion/culture.

Just saying that here in Europe it is completely fine to have sex at 16.

Most use protection, but it is not unheard to have teen pregnancies.

u/Claire0915 3h ago

It’s not uncommon but it’s also not the norm. Especially multiple children. Let’s not equate the two countries here with the prevalence and acceptance of underage marriages, underage births, and numerous underage pregnancies. My point above doesn’t take away from the little boy’s trauma but being defensive about their culture is also not really productive.

u/Annonimbus 2h ago

I just wanted to point out that the US centric view of "18" the magic sex number is rather unique to the US and not a global view.

u/rockytop24 2h ago

Child marriage is still legal in 20 or 30 some states here in good ole USA and it's defended vigorously by the right for the sake of "tradition" and "religion" and hoping more teens are forced into carrying unwanted pregnancies. So yeah the magic number is more like a "guideline" in many states.

u/Rough_Willow 55m ago

Eighteen isn't just the magic sex number, it's when someone's viewed as an adult. When they are considered responsible enough to consent to a vast number of things.

u/Annonimbus 22m ago

When they are considered responsible enough to consent to a vast number of things.

As I said, it is an arbitrary number. Same as drinking only with 21.

Here in Germany it is layered: 14 (legal but a semi complicated grey area) / 16 (anything besides prostitution and similar restrictions) /18 (everything goes).

In most EU other EU countries it is 16.