When I was 16 years old, I had a friend named Laura, who was the same age and had fallen pregnant. I remember how devastating it had been for her. She had been too young to decide what to do and her parents had wanted her to talk to someone.
These situations still happen today. The only solution can be to speak to a professional who can help decide on the best outcome. So, Laura went to see a Counselor. They are professional people who have lots of experience in teen pregnancies and can help to towards your decision on what to do next. Linda Roggow and Carolyn Owens writes in their Handbook for Pregnant Teenagers;
“It helps to have an objective person guide you through your decision-making process. Sometimes, when we have difficult choices to make, we’d like to avoid the subject. Many times it takes another person to force us to look at the important issues.
There are people specially trained to assist you in making arrangements for your best possible care and to help you prepare for your future. Local crisis pregnancy centers and agencies are available to help you. The services provided through these centers can be received for little or no charge.
These people are usually trained counselors or social workers that will help you to decide on what you should do. My friend attended a session and after, she felt more at ease and positive about her situation. She knew she was far too young to bring up a baby and her boyfriend was due to go to college. Her parents were nearing their sixties and she didn’t want them to be burdened with a baby. She had her whole life in front of her and she did not want to ruin that in regard to her education. So, she decided to make an appointment to have an abortion, because she did not feel comfortable or ready in bringing up a baby at this time in her life. She didn’t like the thought of an adoption either, because she knew she would always be wondering what her baby would look like when she or he was older. She knew she would always worry about how or if her child was being looked after properly. She knew she would want to go find her child at some point in the future, so opted for the abortion.
Her parents were, also, in dilemma with the situation. Linda Roggow and Carolyn Owens says;
“It is also advisable that your parents get counseling. There are many excellent reasons why they should talk with an objective professional. A trained counselor can help to resolve negative feelings like guilt, anger, denial and frustration. She can also help them to be honest with you in terms of what you can and cannot expect from them.”
After her talk with the Counselor, Laura realized that she would put up with having an abortion, because it was what she wanted. She didn’t want any loose ends. She wanted it to be over with. So, she attended an appointment at a clinic to have this done. It was her decision and everyone around her respected her for that, including her parents. Of course, there were still worries that she may not be doing the right thing, but she knew for certain, that if she hadn’t spoken to a counselor she would probably still be feeling upset and confused. Ted Rall writes in the Aspen Daily News Online stating;
Anyone who went to high school knew a student couple where the girl became pregnant. What the unlucky couple decided to do about it would determine their futures. The girls who had abortions went on with their lives. They graduated from high school, and, if they were headed that way before the dipstick turned pink, continued with college and careers and all the other stuff young people are supposed to go on to do.
Then there were the girls who kept their babies. With few exceptions – I’ve never heard of any, but I imagine they exist – it was the wrong decision. Their lives were ruined. Many never graduated from high school, much less college. Their futures were grim: Low educational attainment doomed them to dead-end jobs in the low-wage service sector. Married too young and under pressure, most wound up divorced. Many never remarried, or married stepfathers who barely tolerated their children. Their kids, raised in poverty in families led by single, stressed-out young moms, were themselves likely to repeat the cycle of downward mobility by getting pregnant in their teens.
So, in the long run, I would think that my friend made the best decision for her future, because now she is a Lawyer and enjoys her job immensely. She is, also, married now and pregnant again. She still thinks about her decision to have an abortion and whether it was the right thing to do or not, but now it is in her past and she now has a wonderful husband, a great job and new baby on the way.
