Teenage pregnancy

How likely is it?

Choices

Keeping the baby

Termination (abortion)

Adoption

Issues for young people

Issues for parents

Young men and pregnancy

Resources

Becoming pregnant as a teenager, especially if the pregnancy is not wanted, can put enormous stress on young women and their families. However once it has happened there is no way to go back so the important thing is to support the young woman and to help her to make the wisest choice for her at this time.

Parents, too, will have their own feelings and wishes, but it is the young woman's life and things usually work out best if parents offer information and support but do not try to force her to follow their wishes.

How likely is it?

• Probably about 30% of young women in Australia become pregnant in their teenage years (mostly in their late teenage years) and about 50% of them have a termination of the pregnancy (abortion).
• Young people with disabilities have the same physical and emotional needs as others, but often receive less information and don't have enough support and protection so they may have a greater risk of becoming pregnant.
• Young women who are disadvantaged educationally and with few job opportunities may not know about, or use effective contraception.
• Victims of sexual abuse are more likely to have early and unprotected sexual activity and to become pregnant.

Choices

This is a very difficult time for a young woman who has only a short time to make a major decision. There is no easy way out.

• The choices available are continuing with the pregnancy and keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption, or termination (abortion).
• Some factors to take into account are age, family, personal beliefs, access to services and support, how the young woman sees the pregnancy, and how far the pregnancy has progressed.

The decision needs to be the one that is the best possible decision for the young woman in difficult circumstances at this particular time. She needs to be able to look back and know that the decision she made was the best she could at the time.

• Parents may feel that their daughter is too young to make a wise decision and may bring enormous pressure on her to do what they think is right.
• The young woman needs to feel that her parent(s) fully support whatever decision she makes.
• The father of the child, and his family may also want to be very involved in making decisions.
• In the end it is the young woman who needs to decide, and she needs to have as much information as possible before making her decision.

Keeping the baby

In choosing to keep the baby she will need to think about:

• Supports available - family, friends, financial, housing, emotional etc.
• The role that the baby's father wishes to play
• Whether the young woman believes she is able to care for a baby
• The need for counselling in regard to the responsibilities that a young baby brings

It's important that the young woman takes care of herself and has regular checkups

• Smoking, drugs and alcohol can have harmful effects on the developing baby

Termination (abortion)

• In Australia, abortion is legal if continuing your pregnancy would harm your physical or mental health more than having the procedure, or if the child is found to be suffering from physical or mental abnormalities.
• Termination is usually available up to 12 weeks but may be done up to 22 weeks (a different procedure). This should be discussed with a doctor.
• Many teenagers who want to keep their babies are afraid their parents will insist on termination so they do not tell until later in the pregnancy. (This puts good antenatal [before birth] care at risk, because babies do best if their mothers have antenatal care as soon as possible after they know they are pregnant).
• How well the young woman will cope with a termination emotionally is related to her being sure that this is what she wants. Teenagers are often not sure and need support through this stage of decision-making.
• If a young woman has a termination when she really wants to keep the baby her chances of having emotional problems after the termination are increased and she is more likely to have another pregnancy at a young age.

Adoption

For many young women who feel "I couldn't possibly give my baby away" adoption is not an option, and few babies are given up for adoption. For others, it can be seen as a good solution because it may give the child a better chance.

• The outcome for the mother who gives up her baby may not be positive, and this can lead to continuing emotional problems.
• New adoption legislation has improved the situation, as the mother can have the possibility of later contact with the child.

Issues for young people

It is very important that the young woman has her parents' support at this time.

• With or without keeping the baby, some will experience a positive result and some will experience isolation, lost opportunities, hardship, grief and disruption of relationships.
• Young people tend to come for pregnancy testing and advice later than adults, which can result in less positive outcomes and fewer choices.
• Teenagers' understanding (or misunderstanding) of how their parents will take their choice, can have a very real effect on decision making.  It is important to talk things through with your daughter or son openly to clear up any misunderstandings they may have about what you really think.

Issues for parents

Parents may have many anxieties which arise out of concern for their daughter (or son).

• Parents may experience shock, disappointment, anxiety, anger and sometimes a sense of guilt or responsibility.
• There may be a loss of their dreams for their daughter (or son).
• Some of the choices available could go against parents' values.
• If their daughter does not tell them for a long time, there can be considerable disappointment that she feared their response so much.
• There may be concerns about what friends and other family members think.

Major life events do not just disappear, and whatever the decision there may be doubts and sadness for sometime.

• They may also get a great deal of pleasure from their new grandchild!

Young men and pregnancy

Young men often receive blame but little information, counselling and support. Young men may need help to accept and support the young woman's right to decide the outcome of the pregnancy, and what her choice means for the father.

• They may need support to talk about their reaction to the pregnancy, how they feel about future involvement, dealing with family and friends' responses.
• If the young woman decides to keep the baby it raises the issues of what involvement the father wants and his legal responsibilities to help support his baby.
• If the father's name is on the birth certificate, or if he is presumed to be the father (eg because he and the young woman were living together), then he will be liable to help support the baby financially.
• If a young man does not believe he is the father, he would need to get legal advice,
• It is possible to have a DNA test to check if someone is the father of a particular baby. This is done on blood (or other body tissues) from the man, the baby and preferably the mother as well. The test can be done at any age and is now very accurate.
• Many young men may need information about contraception.

Resources

• Your family doctor.
• Your local Community Health Centre (check telephone book)
• Quit Helpline (Support to stop smoking) 131 848
• Family Planning Clinics