Teenage Abortions and the Risks Involved
Statistics show that about 350,000 teens in the US get pregnant in a year. Around 82% of these pregnancies are unplanned and about 31% undergo abortion, while the remaining others miscarry in the process, or carry the baby to full term and deliver. There are laws in the US that does not allow teenagers to undergo abortion without parental consent. This again is based on the physicians review whether it is possible to terminate the pregnancy and what would be the best way to do so.
A teenager is forced to take a major decision regarding an abortion as it can have an impact on her education and also give her responsibility of taking care of a child when she is a child herself. The procedures to obtain abortion is similar to women undergoing abortion procedure, except that it is really important according to the laws of the state to get parental consent; sometimes a parent, and most other states want both the parents to give their consent. Sometimes a situation might arise where the parent would not cooperate with the teenager, and if there is any form of risk associated with the teen’s pregnancy, the courts can sidestep the decision of parental consent and give a go ahead for the termination of pregnancy.
The commonly used procedure for termination of a teenager’s pregnancy is the medical abortion with the use of mifepristone followed by misoprostol. These two drugs are usually enough for the termination of pregnancy, and if there is still pregnancy tissue remaining in the uterus, D&E or Dilation and Evacuation procedure is carried out.
Although these procedures normally do not have any severe side effects, the emotional impact on a teenager can be quite disturbing. The teenager can go through an emotional phase which can sometimes lead to major depression. It is best that teenage pregnancy is taken care of during the first trimester as there would not be much physical damage done.
If a surgical procedure is carried out to terminate the pregnancy of a teenager then there can be plenty of problems that a teen can face, like:
•Damage to the uterus or other vital organs during the procedure
•Infection
•Reaction to medications
•Discomfort and pain
•Excessive bleeding
Some known facts about teens after getting an abortion are:
•Teenagers who have an abortion are more likely to have disturbing behavioral changes
•Most teenagers take up different addictions like alcohol abuse and can also take up drug abuse
•Teenagers tend to have suicidal feelings after abortions, and a percentage of teenagers have even attempted suicide after having an abortion.
•Teenagers have difficulty coping after an abortion, even after counseling.
It is therefore very important to educate teenagers regarding the ill effects of abortion and how it can overall impact on their mental and physical health. The parents too should realize that parental pressure followed by an abortion incident can drive teenagers to take adverse steps. It is best to talk to your teenager and help her overcome this emotional moment with great care.
About the Author
Legal Abortion By Pill Clinic Offering Medical and Surgical Abortion 3 to 24 Weeks. Fort Lauderdale Women’s Center was established in 1999. It is a spacious modern facility conveniently located to both the Florida Turnpike and I-95.
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