Dear Abby.

How To Get Pregnant Without Having Sex

December 08, 1993|By Abigail Van Buren.

Dear Abby: I just read in another advice column that a 17-year-old boy got his girlfriend pregnant accidentally-and they were both virgins. They didn't actually go all the way, but he got the girl pregnant just from "fooling around." Can this be true? San Diego Reader

Dear Reader: Yes, it is true. Here's an excerpt from my booklet "What Every Teen Should Know," written several years ago:

How to Get Pregnant

One of the questions I have been asked often by teens is: "How far can I go without getting pregnant?"

That is not a dumb question. It's a very intelligent one. A lot of kids get aroused by just lying close to each other while kissing. Then they just naturally proceed to the next step, which is petting. Sometimes they remove some of their clothing because it's "in the way," or they burrow underneath it to explore each other's bodies with their hands. This is known as heavy petting, or "doing everything else but."

The technical (and legal) definition of sexual intercourse is "penetration." (The male's sex organ must penetrate the female's.) However, as impossible as it may sound, in the medical literature can be found cases where there has been no penetration-the girl remained a virgin but, after engaging in heavy petting, she found herself pregnant.

How can that be? Simple.

The boy and girl were lying very close to each other (unclothed), "doing everything but," when a small amount of sperm leaked out . . . near (not inside, but very close to) the girl's vagina. The sperm got into the moisture around the vagina and found its way up into it, and fertilized the egg!

Dear Abby: So often you have functioned as a feminine King Solomon, wisely settling disputes. Please advise me: I am a 53-year-old woman in good health. I wish to donate my organs in the event of an accidental death. My husband claims my organs are too old: "Who would want 53-year-old kidneys, eyes," etc. I consider healthy (aging) organs better than none. What do you say? Puzzled in North Hollywood

Dear Puzzled: Excellent question. According to Bruce Conway, president of the Living Bank in Houston, the national organ and tissue donor registry: "Fifty-three is not old. The organ procurement team evaluates the condition of all usable organs-heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, etc.-at the time of the donor's death. The need for vital organs is great, and every medically acceptable organ is utilized. Donated tissues-which include corneas, bone, skin, heart valves-can be utilized despite advancing age." The families or estates of the donors are charged nothing. (The recipients pay the costs.)

It would be generous and compassionate of you to sign an organ donor form. To obtain one, write to: The Living Bank, P.O. Box 6725, Houston, Texas 77265. Because this organization depends on donations to exist, a dollar or two would be appreciated.


For Abby's favorite family recipes, send a long, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $3.95, to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet No. 1, P.O. Box 447, Mt. Morris, Ill. 61054.