I'm an American but studied abroad in Denmark for around 6 months. When I was there, I found out that the Nordic countries have virtually eradicated down syndrome by testing pregnant people for it. 99% choose to abort. How do you guys feel about this?
Personally this is quite disturbing to me. I've known people with down syndrome who live happy, quality lives. Even if it is up to the mother whether or not to abort, when it happens 99% of the time, is it not cultural eugenics? It seems the culture is almost afraid of taking care of a child with down syndrome. Especially in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, where the resources to take care of them are more widely available. If you could test for other things like autism, or even something like extreme depression, would yall do the same thing?
EDIT: I am strongly pro choice and I have talked to many American people on both sides of the political spectrum about this and they unanimously agree with me. On an individual level, I support everyones right to make their own decisions, but when it gets to the population level it becomes more of a cultural issue. There seems to be a cultural agreement that children with down syndrome are too difficult to care for. Does that make it ok to eradicate them? I honestly don't know
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The original was posted on /r/denmark by /u/queen_bs at 2024-03-13 15:12:18+00:00.
twisty-turns at 2024-03-13 18:08:53+00:00 ID:
kup8busI feel morally twisted about it; I am autistic and I worry for the day where they figure out how to do something similar but for autism. We are also at risk for complications and having a poor quality of health/life, a lot of the reasons that others cite as reasons to abort - I sort of go, "Wait, but that's me." I feel like what separates us most is 'just' that with autism theres a chance to have a normal level of intelligence.
I don't think that Downs is widely understood enough, I'm not sure that people always consider all of the positives, but I also understand the negatives and not wanting to have a handicapped child. So, I'm pro-choice even in this situation, but I think more needs to be done to communicate a more entire picture of the perspective life of someone with Downs.
It's just a bit scary to think about when you're this close to a whole entire outcome, especially when you also consider the origins of autism research.
queen_bs (OP) at 2024-03-13 17:58:34+00:00 ID:
kupkw0pThis is a great take. It seems that mothers/families assume that down syndrome will ruin their lives, when this is not necessarily the case
Particular_Run_8930 at 2024-03-13 18:15:51+00:00 ID:
kupo2j9One of my children is mentally disabled, not downs, but still significant enough that i think i can speak with some experience.
I certainly dont think a child with downs would necessarily ruin our life. In fackt i think we would be quite capable of taking care of it. However i do think that having a child with a dissability is significantly harder than having a ‘normal’ one. Not just in the childhood years, but throughout the entire lifespan of the child, and with the knowledge that even after ones death, the child would still be dependend on … someone.
There are a lot of great experiences that you simply dont get, many of which were important to you, and part of the reason you wanted to have children in the first place.
In many cases to choose to have the child with downs would also mean not having one withouth.
TheRealTormDK at 2024-03-13 18:12:54+00:00 ID:
kupniyoWhen it's a genetic mutation that can just happen, why would you take the chance? If the female is still the right age to try again, why wouldn't you?
Attempting to label it eugenics is bad form to begin with, since there's no state mandated requirements - it is entirely up to the effected parties, and the state will actively provide assistance should the parents choose to move forward with it, despite the downsides.
SadOkapi at 2024-03-13 18:56:54+00:00 ID:
kupvmciAs a fellow autistic I am right there with you. I think we would be aborted if a test for autism was available. Though, I am still suicidal, and having been aborted would be finde by me, I see the intrinsic value in my autistic fellow human beings as well as humans with Down’s syndrome.
I wish they (people with down’s were included in the conversations of their quality of life.
silversprings99 at 2024-03-13 21:16:19+00:00 ID:
kuql3l5The world would be lost without autistic people. So many genuises, talented artists and people who keep things rolling. Our perspectives and skills are part of what has helped advance society. This is not to romanticise it, I know first hand that being autistic is brutal, but it doesn't have to be.