Teens Abortions

Abortions in the USA

Teen abortions are legal in all US states, though not all abortions performed on teenagers require parental consent or notification. Figures suggest that in states where parental consent has been made mandatory, the rate of teen abortions have clearly fallen.

Pregnant Teens: Abortions or Births?

For relatively immature teenagers who discover they are pregnant, the decision making process that is required in relation to keeping the baby or having an abortion is a complex and frightening one. Whatever decision is made, the teen will no doubt find themselves under scrutiny, as either decision will always be controversial to someone, somewhere.

Ultimately, the decision must be made by the pregnant teen. However, in some cases where a teen relationship continues and survives such a life changing event, the father of the baby may have a huge influence on the decision to continue with the pregnancy or opt for an abortion. Parents and relatives in these situations only want what is best for the teenage mom and at times teenagers take offense at honest and practical advice that is given.

The importance in all cases of teenage pregnancy is that the mom and dad, if this applies, are fully informed of their choices and indeed the implications of their choice. For so many teens, abortions are daunting, invasive procedures, yet for those who decide to abort a pregnancy, this is a necessary suffering, albeit in most cases a relatively painless one. It is also true that the earlier the decision can be made the better for the mom as the later into a pregnancy an abortion is carried out, the more invasive and distressing the process will undoubtedly be.

Choosing to go ahead with the pregnancy and give birth is one which for many moms, even teenage ones, is both exciting and anxiety provoking. If at a later stage, even past the legal abortion ‘cut off’ time, the mom decides that she does not wish to keep the baby, there are options such as adoption to consider right up until the birth.

The Effects of Teen Abortion: Getting Help

The short and long term effects of teen abortion can be both mentally and physically challenging. In the days following the procedure a woman is likely to experience physical problems such as bleeding and abdominal cramps, along with unpredictable feelings and emotions such as grief, guilt and sadness, even if the abortion was the absolute right decision to make.

Once the abortion has taken place, there is no going back and support is needed right from the word ‘go’ to ensure the teen is able to cope with the physical and emotional consequences. Indeed the physical symptoms will decrease and go away entirely after a week or so, but the emotional problems can lead to long-term issues if not dealt with at the time of the abortion. Counselors are always on hand to offer the required level of support following an abortion and teenage pregnant women are dealt with no differently than an adult whom has experienced an abortion. Many women feel they do not want to discuss intimate feelings and emotions with a stranger, but may feel equally unable to vent their feelings to a parent or loved one.

Most importantly it is vital to accept and utilize all the help that is offered. It may not feel like it at the time, but the work that counselors are able to do on women who have undergone abortions can make the difference between life-long acceptance or indeed life-long guilt about a very harrowing decision.