Options When You’re Pregnant

Parenthood

Choosing to be a parent while still a teenager is a difficult choice that will have educational, financial, social, physical and emotional costs. In most cases, a teen will need a supportive partner, family, school and community to be able to raise a child.

Talk to teens who are parents and ask about their lives. Do their realities match your dreams for your future? What support do they have, and will you have? Yes, it’s difficult, but if you decide to continue your pregnancy, be confident in your abilities and gather as much support and resources as you can. It’s hard work, but it’s possible.

Adoption

There are many different options available if you choose to give your baby to another family. There are open adoptions, in which you can visit your child and be a part of their life. There are also closed adoptions, meaning your identity is sealed and you have no relationship with your child.

People choose to have an open or closed adoption for different reasons. To help you make this important decision, find out as much as you can from several different adoption agencies.

There are many resources available online that provide information about adoption agencies. However, be careful. Many “crisis pregnancy centers” may not present you with all of the options. Do your research to make the best decision for you.

Abortion

Abortion is the end of a pregnancy before the fetus can live independently outside the mother. If abortion happens spontaneously before 24 weeks of pregnancy it's called a miscarriage. An induced abortion is caused deliberately to terminate the pregnancy.

In the case of Roe v. Wade, 1973, the Supreme Court confirmed women’s right to choose to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Since then, courts have upheld this decision. However, the decision to have an abortion is extremely personal. If you're considering an abortion, think carefully about what is right for you before taking action. This includes not just how you feel now, but how this might affect you in the future.

Consulting your parents, doctor or another trusted adult can help you with this choice. Counselors at women’s health clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, can provide information about different options.

Abortions are most safely done in the first trimester (before the 12th week of pregnancy). Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of the woman’s most recent menstrual period. The type of abortion performed depends on how far the pregnancy has progressed.

• Medical abortion — During the first 49 days of pregnancy, a medical termination is possible without surgery. Medical abortion uses two different drugs, methotrexate or mifepristone, which may be followed by another drug called misoprostol.
  
  While these drugs cause an abortion without surgical procedures such as dilation and vacuum, they do take longer to work than surgical abortion.
  
  Medical abortion involves several appointments at the doctor’s office or clinic, and it often results in a fair amount of cramping and bleeding at home. If a medical abortion isn’t successful, you’ll need a surgical abortion (if you still want an abortion).
• Surgical abortion — Vacuum aspiration (the suction method) is the most common type of abortion. It is a surgical procedure that involves mild sedation and can be performed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
  
  During vacuum aspiration, the opening of the uterus is gently widened about a quarter-inch, a narrow tube is inserted through the vagina to the uterus, and the contents of the uterine internal lining are vacuumed out. The procedure takes only a couple minutes and the woman can usually return home later in the day.
• Second trimester abortion — During this rare type of abortion, after the 13th week of pregnancy, a medication called prostaglandin is given in a clinic. This results in uterine contractions, which can last several hours, and is usually accompanied by some anesthesia. Many doctors who perform first-trimester abortions do not perform second-trimester abortions.
  
  Second-trimester abortions are usually done for pregnancies with medical complications. There are usually only a few centers in an area that do them. “Elective” abortions are not done after 23 weeks. Third-trimester abortions (after 24 weeks) are only performed in cases of severely deformed fetuses or when the mother’s life is in danger.

To learn about abortion facts in your state, check out the Guttmacher Institute's State Center.

Personal Experiences

Read stories written by teens about the choices they made when they found out they were pregnant at Sex, Etc., provided by Rutgers University.

Last Reviewed: December 2019