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  • Title: Teenage mothers and abortion.
    Author: Simms M, Smith C.
    Journal: Br J Sex Med; 1982 Oct; 9(89):45-7. PubMed ID: 12266261.
    Abstract:
    A national sample of 533 teenage mothers in England and Wales was interviewed in 1979 about their lives, their babies, and their partners. 70 (13%) reported that they had thought about having an abortion. All but 9 of this group talked to someone about this possibility. More than half of these women decided not to pursue, or were deterred from pursuing an abortion after initial discussion with their partner, parents, a doctor, or a friend. 25 women, 5%, of the sample had sought an abortion. Discussion focuses on why none of these women obtained an abortion. At the time they became pregnant, nearly all these women were single. They described their pregnancy as unplanned. They reported that they were initially upset (25%) or had mixed feelings (75%) about the pregnancy. None said that they were pleased about it. 4 of the women interviewed were only 15 or 16 when they became pregnant. 1 women stated that she had no intention of having an abortion and only applied for one to pacify her father who was outraged by her pregnancy. 8 women changed their minds and decided not to pursue the abortion mostly because they decided they wanted to have a baby after all, or for reasons of inertia. The views of their boyfriends prevailed with 2 women. Of the remaining 15 women, 3% of the initial sample, 10 were informed by their doctors that they had come "too late." 6 of these 10 women had visited their doctor before they were 10 weeks pregnant. This may give some cause for concern. 5 women reported that they were refused abortions by their general practitioners or gynecologists without further explanation or on "medical" grounds.
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