The main psychological effects of an abortion in a teen would be:
- shame,
- feelings of low mood and
- depression.
Past generations regarded teen pregnancy as something deeply shameful. However, having an unwanted pregnancy is a difficult situation to come to grips with and there are many factors that one would consider before arriving at a decision.
In the developed world, a large proportion of all teenage pregnancies end in induced abortion. Among 15 to 19 year-olds, this proportion in recent years has been:
- U.S = 30%,
- U.K = 43%,
- Sweden = 77%
- Finland = 59%.
A teen considering abortion is influenced by:
- where she lives,
- her religious beliefs,
- her relationship with her parents,
- access to family planning services, and
- the behaviour of her peer group.
Her educational level and socioeconomic status also play a role.
There are three common reasons teens give for having an abortion:
- not wanting their lives' trajectory altered by the birth of a baby,
- financial limitations,
- thinking that they are not mature or responsible enough to raise a child.
The teen who worries that having a baby will change her life has a good reason for concern. Most teen mothers' lives are negatively impacted by the birth of a baby:
- their educational plans are interrupted,
- which subsequently limits their future earning potential and
- puts them at greater risk of raising their child in poverty.
In comparison, teens who choose abortion are more successful in school and are more likely to graduate and pursue higher education. They typically come from a higher socioeconomic family background than those who give birth and become teen mothers.
Compared to teen mothers, girls who have an abortion before age 18 have no negative effects that carry into early adulthood, a nationwide study in Finland published in 2016 suggests. Girls who had underage abortions tended to have higher educational attainment and were less likely to be dependent on welfare at age 25 compared to the girls who gave birth, the study team found.
Because teen pregnancy has become almost commonplace in many high schools, the pressure to 'keep it a secret' no longer exists as it did in past generations. More and more teens are choosing to give birth. It would be very important that even for young women who choose to have a child that society do its best to guarantee they have a chance to continue schooling. Family planning services should be available for those who need them.
