1. My mom says I'm having an abortion, that I'm a minor and have no say in this.
No matter what your age... this is your body, your baby, your life, and your
choice. NO ONE can force a minor to have an abortion. That's against the
law and would be child abuse! And no doctor can perform an abortion
on you without your signature. No one can sign for you.
2. My parents say they'll kick me out of the house unless I have this abortion.
First of all, in the US parents are legally and financially responsible for their children under the age of 18. Consequently, parents can't just randomly kick their minor children out of their home. Depending upon the state, they would be charged with child neglect or endangerment and the State Department of Child Services would be all over them.
Parents often want to get rid of their daughter's pregnancy because they'd be embarrassed for everyone to find out... "what would the neighbors say." Well, what would the neighbors say if they put their pregnant daughter out on the street and were charged with child endangerment!
If you are over 18 there are other places you can go for housing and care throughout your pregnancy. You can call Care Net at 1-800-395-HELP for information in your area.
3. If I don't have an abortion, my dad says he'll put my boyfriend in jail because I'm only 15 and he's 17.
The age of consent for having sex varies in each state, but generally unless you are a very young minor and your boyfriend is a much older man, your father may be making angry statements which are not based on law. Oftentimes people assume, for example, that an 18-year-old boyfriend having sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend can be charged with statutory rape. Not necessarily so.
Getting help from Care Net at 1-800-395-HELP can also answer questions like this about the laws in your own state.
4. Everyone says I'll never finish school unless I have an abortion.
You CAN finish school while being a teen parent. That's why school systems have teen parenting programs. They want you to finish school. You and your baby will be better off in the future if you do finish school. School programs even provide parenting classes and daycare as part of their curriculum. As you will see from the parenting stories in the Pregnancy section, many girls feel much more determined to finish school and go to college because they want a good future for their baby.
5. My boyfriend says this will ruin his life, that he'll leave me unless I abort my baby.
This pregnancy is not about him, even though he's the father. It's about you and your baby. A little baby has never ruined any father's life; and if he makes you choose between him and your child, he's not worth choosing, as he doesn't care about either one of you...
*All you have to do is read the abortion stories to see that almost all guys left after the abortion anyway.
JUST THE FACTS
The number and types of physical complications resulting from abortion are as diverse. Depending upon the type of abortion performed, physical complications can be as follows:
1. Cervical tearing and laceration from the instruments.
2. Perforation of the uterus by instruments. This may require major surgery, including hysterectomy.
3. Scarring of the uterine lining by suction tubing, curettes, or other instruments.
4. Infection, local and systemic.
5. Hemorrhage and shock, especially if the uterine artery is torn.
6. Anesthesia toxicity from both general or local anesthesia, resulting in possible convulsions, cardiorespiratory arrest, and in extreme cases, death.
7. Retained tissue, indicated by cramping, heavy bleeding, and infection.
8. Postabortal syndrome, referring to an enlarged, tender and soft uterus retaining blood clots.
9. Failure to recognize an ectopic pregnancy. This could lead to the rupture of a fallopian tube, hemorrhage, and resulting infertility or death, if treatment is not provided in time.
Dr. Warren Hern, Abortion Practice, c. 1980 & Hern, W. "Long Term Risks of Induced Abortion," Gynecology and Obstetrics, 6:63 (1994)
MENTAL ASPECTS
Some women experience immediate psychological problems from abortion. Other women repress feelings of guilt, delaying emotional reactions sometimes for several years and oftentimes triggered by their first planned pregnancy.
1. These complications include:
2. Sad mood.
3. Sudden and uncontrollable crying episodes.
4. Deterioration of self-concept.
5. Sleep, appetite and sexual disturbances.
6. Reduced motivation.
7. Disruption in interpersonal relationships.
8. Extreme guilt and anxiety.
9. Psychological "numbing."
10. Depression and thoughts of suicide.
Listing provided by David Reardon, Ph.D., the Elliot Institute and Paul C. Reisser, M.D. and Teri Reisser, M.S., "Identifying and Overcoming Post-Abortion Syndrome," (Colorado Springs: Focus on the Family, 1994), pg. 11.
