Pregnancies can be a true blessing for some, or they can lead to many problems for others, particularly when they are unplanned. For teenagers, abortion becomes a top choice to avoid the social and economic stress of a pregnancy. Below are some of the reasons why teens choose to have an abortion, as well as tips to make the process less challenging for young adults and their families.
Finances
Parental involvement can include having someone to help with raising a child, especially the financial responsibilities. Regardless if your teen is the mother carrying a child, or the father, they are likely to face financial hardships based on their current income – many teens are unemployed. They look to their parents for assistance with housing, food, educational expenses, clothing, and more. The costs of parenting do not stop once the baby is born; in fact, it increases. The financial stress of providing for a child can devastate teenagers and lead to bad habits or depression.
As an adult, you should speak with your son about the financial stress that comes with being a teen parent; it would be best to detail why he is not financially strong enough to raise a child at his age. The most common parenting finances include:
- Medical bills from the pregnancy
- Child insurance
- Daycare
- Food
- Clothing
Health
Teens are still growing and learning; therefore, carrying a child to full-term and becoming parents can harm their well-being. For example, your child’s body is still developing, and pregnancy can put her in harm’s way by stopping some body parts from functioning normally, which includes the immune system. As a result, your teen could have a higher risk of developing infectious diseases while pregnant. Therefore, most young adults choose to terminate their pregnancy to avoid short-term and long-term health problems.
Social Challenges
Attending school and community events is often difficult for teens due to the guilt, shame, and embarrassment of being pregnant. As a result, young adults can isolate themselves from friends and family, causing significant damage to their emotional, mental, and physical health. This can be dangerous for anyone, especially individuals who are pregnant. The social challenges can continue years down the line and negatively affect the relationship between mother and father and child. To reduce the number of social challenges that they already face, most young adults choose to have an abortion to preserve their mental health and social relationships.
Plans for the Future
Having a baby does not necessarily stop young parents from attending school and going on to college or pursuing their dream job. However, it can make these goals more challenging to achieve; in some cases, it can significantly slow down progress, causing teens to reduce school hours or drop out completely. Plans are generally the reasons why most teenagers choose to have an abortion. This procedure is often outpatient and doesn’t require teens to miss classes or fall behind on their assignments. Once a young adult has recovered and healed from the process, she can continue to chase her educational dreams without taking on the extra responsibility of becoming a parent.
Situations of the Past
Teen abortion was not always legal, leading teens to take drastic measures to terminate their pregnancies. These options were often illegal and led to health problems or death. The fear of telling their parents they were pregnant was the top cause of these difficult choices before abortions were legalized.
Many of today’s parents have open relationships with their children, giving them safe spaces. The objective is to make the process as stress-free as possible for both teenage parents and other family members involved. Speaking with a primary care physician is a great first step. She will talk to your child about the procedure and what to expect before and after the process. Access to abortion clinics is not as hard as it was decades and centuries ago, and your family doctor could also recommend local clinics to make the search process less time-consuming, which can prevent your teen from having an emotional breakdown.
There are generally other resources that teens can take advantage of, such as joining support groups and being surrounded by other teens and mentors who have experienced similar situations. Attending these groups before and after the abortion can alleviate feelings of depression and boost your young adult’s confidence levels.
You and your teenager can use the information above when deciding if abortion is the best option. Although every situation is different, these are some of the top reasons young adults choose to terminate a pregnancy. After you have come to a decision, be sure to use the tips in this article, and always speak with a medical provider and counselor to ensure you take advantage of every resource available to your family.