The Editor, Sir:

From a personal perspective and experience as a 'former teenage' mother, I am against abortion. I am also against attitudes taken by pro-life believers. Condemnation will not solve unwanted pregnancies, stop the increase in population growth and reduce infectious diseases. It will not aid girls and women who wish to exercise their right of autonomy in deciding what is best for themselves and their future.

In the '80s, there was the campaign of 'Two is better than too many' which was family planning policy. Generally, it was aimed at reducing population growth. This policy left the image that the nuclear family (man, wife and two children) is the norm. As a result, contraception is used to prevent 'unwanted' pregnancies.

Unfortunately - according to the message of this campaign then - for some but fortunately for me, I became a teenage mother in the 80s. Hundreds of girls, around the area where I lived, who became pregnant, were advised to terminate the pregnancy on the ground that their future would be blighted.

Deeply stigmatised

Those girls who did follow through with termination were deeply stigmatised by the community. Advice was given to young mothers to give up the 'unwanted children' for adoption to people who were deemed capable of taking better care of them. Some girls who had no form of support abandoned their children on relatives, on the State and even in pit latrines. I am one of the few who had and kept my children.

I was rejected by my family and community, I was also stigmatised as a 'bad girl' who had no ambition and chance for the future, I was dumped by my babyfather and I was a school dropout. Despite these 'small' inconveniences, I took sole responsibility of raising my children. I took them everywhere with me and exposed them to worlds beyond my village and Jamaica.

Proudest mother

Today, I am the proudest mother there is. My almost 23-year-old son is a popular artiste, and my daughter of 20 is a university student. And as for me, I am living the life, I planned with everything I ever dreamed of and more. Don't be misled, it was not always easy to combine motherhood, lone parenting, being a provider, an active member of society and yes, I am graduated.

Reward helps to build confidence as does discipline with reasonable measures. These are principles I have exercised during the raising of my children. Actually, I am still a mother and parent to my children by choice. I do not condemn those women who made different choices.

I am, etc.,

ELAINE M. CAMPBELL

Reggeplantsoen 2

1316 SX Almere

The Netherlands