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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums1 in 200 Women Say They've Had a 'Virgin Pregnancy'
An unbelievable-sounding new study finds that one in 200 young American women claims to have experienced a virgin pregnancy, à la the Virgin Mary.
The US researchers looked into a long-term, confidential study about reproductive health, and found that 45 of the 7,870 women involved said they had become pregnant without ever having had vaginal intercourse or going through in-vitro fertilization, AFP reports. Of those, 31% had made a "chastity pledge" of the type popular among Christian groups. The research was published in the British Medical Journal.
Milestones through PregnancyA lead author explains: The subjects "weren't asked a question 'Have you had a virgin pregnancy?'" Rather, the findings were "put together from a series of questions about pregnancy history and vaginal intercourse history." She adds that it's possible some of the women "did not want to admit that they had intercourse," or perhaps misunderstood the questions, seeing as the results are rather "unrealistic."
She adds: "We actually found a few virgin fathers as well-which is a little harder to get your head around." LiveScience points out that the study's real finding is the problems inherent in researching sensitive information: "Scientists may still face challenges when collecting self-reported data on sensitive topics," despite taking precautions.
http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/1-200-women-39-ve-had-39-virgin-194000952.html
Berlum
(7,044 posts)BainsBane
(53,066 posts)That is it.
This article about this study has more info. http://news.yahoo.com/39-virgin-births-39-reveal-problems-health-surveys-005455494.html?bcmt=comments-postbox
The researchers also found that parents of women who reported virgin births were more likely to indicate lower levels of communication with their children about sex and birth control. The women, however, were not particularly more religious than the rest of the participants, according to the study published today (Dec. 17) in the medical journal BMJ.
Mystery solved.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)There are at least some higher vertebrates that are capable of parthenogenesis - whiptail lizards, for example.
Who's to say that these women aren't a strange mutation of self-fertilizing female humans? I'm sure they'd be willing ot undergo a battery of tests and examinations. Imagine the medical breakthroughs this could lead to!
I mean sure they could be lying, and occam's razor says they probably are, but hey! Biology teaches us that nothing is impossible
BainsBane
(53,066 posts)I justed added to my post from the other article
The researchers also found that parents of women who reported virgin births were more likely to indicate lower levels of communication with their children about sex and birth control. The women, however, were not particularly more religious than the rest of the participants, according to the study published today (Dec. 17) in the medical journal BMJ.
Then there is the possibility that these kids just don't know how babies are made. Kids think they can do all kinds of stuff and not call it sex.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)I'm sure there's still no shortage of bumpkins who believe their daughters can get pregnant from sharing bathwater with their brothers.
Response to joeybee12 (Original post)
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jberryhill
(62,444 posts)pnwmom
(108,994 posts)of vaginal intercourse, but leaves the little swimmers too close to their target.
Or so says Dear Abby!
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-12-08/features/9312080141_1_organ-and-tissue-donor-heavy-petting-dear-abby
xulamaude
(847 posts)Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)regnaD kciN
(26,045 posts)...to hammer home the point that, not only shouldn't you Do It before marriage, but you shouldn't Do "Everything But..." either, because you could get just as pregnant from only "heavy petting."
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)what happened to her. She had no reason to lie to me - when I met her she was married and had two children.
pnwmom
(108,994 posts)a small amount of sperm,and that's where people tend to get careless.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)he ejaculated before penetration was accomplished. I guess it hit close enough to travel.....those little suckers are pretty mobile.
Squinch
(51,007 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)Squinch
(51,007 posts)madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)Silent3
(15,265 posts)If spontaneous human parthenogenesis is possible, it would probably still be so very, very rare that not even one in 7870 women would have been likely to have experienced it.
That said, to the very limited extent that such births might remotely be possible, the offspring would have to female, being that no Y chromosome would be available.
It's not just cultural sexism that makes the birth of a male Jesus a better miracle story than the birth of a female savior would have been.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)Either she had some serious gender bending issues and like 12 guys, or some patriarchal types changed the story on us.
lpbk2713
(42,766 posts)Then they sell it on Ebay.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)Tikki
(14,559 posts)FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)ecstatic
(32,731 posts)While unconscious?
Aerows
(39,961 posts)and were victims of rape or incest. It doesn't surprise me that they would attempt to rationalize it in another way. Sad.
fujiyama
(15,185 posts)It's possible many of the responses were made just to fuck with the pollsters, but there is the possibility that many of these responses are basically trying to rationalize acts of sexual abuse.
Aerows
(39,961 posts)when .5% of women would rather say they got pregnant via God than that they had sex with a man?
It says that .5% of women have mental health issues, the same rate as men do at fertile age. Schizophrenics regularly talk to God, see God and hear God. It isn't too hard to believe that some women would either choose to believe they got pregnant by God or by divine intervention rather than that they had sex.
I don't find this surprising at all. People with mental health issues ... having mental health issues that reflect that they have experiences that possibly contributed to further mental health issues (like rape and incest).
whistler162
(11,155 posts)gullible people who fund them!
Aerows
(39,961 posts)whistler162.
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)I'm a believer.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)and say the craziest thing possible. Also a certain percentage of people don't understand even well-designed questions, either because they're idiots or because there's a language barrier.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)Vashta Nerada
(3,922 posts)1 in 200 women are liars.
Monk06
(7,675 posts)alp227
(32,052 posts)But hey, creationism and homophobia still thrive in large swaths of Amurka huh?
Read my rant about that : http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024197860
pnwmom
(108,994 posts)and they didn't do in-vitro fertilization, which is fertilization outside the body.
Come on, people! They used a turkey baster . . . or equivalent.