Teen Pregnancy - If you Think you May be Pregnant

A pregnancy is a life-changing experience at the best of times. But for a young girl who is unprepared emotionally, physically and financially, it involves taking some very major decisions. So if you suspect that you are pregnant and unable to deal with it on your own, here is a simple guide that you can follow to take an informed decision.

Emergency measures

If you have had unprotected sex within the last three to five days and are worried that you may get pregnant, consider taking emergency contraception. These are commonly known as “morning after pills” and can be 75-89% effective if taken within 72 to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse. In some states EC can be purchased without prescription while in others you need to be at least seventeen years to buy one without a prescription. In these states, if you are sixteen or below, you need to go through a clinic or doctor to get an EC prescription.

Find out if you are actually pregnant

Usually the first clue to a pregnancy lies in a missed period. However a girl can miss her period if she is ill, under stress or going through major changes in her life. At the same time, she can have a lighter than usual period and still be pregnant. Other signs of pregnancy include tender breasts, nausea, fatigue and frequent urination. However these symptoms may vary in degree and frequency from one person to another. The important thing here is that if you have missed a period or have had an unusually light period and you think you may be pregnant, it is a good idea to get it confirmed even if you may or may not display other signs of pregnancy. The easiest and most private way to do this with the help of a home pregnancy test kit. This kit is available at a regular drug store and requires you to test a strip with a sample of your urine. The kit comes with clear instructions and indications as to what the result might mean. The kit also lets you test for pregnancy as early as the day after you are supposed to get your period.

Confirm it

If you have already taken the home-pregnancy test and found it positive, the next step would be to go to your doctor or a clinic to confirm your pregnancy. This is because a home-pregnancy test may sometimes give faulty results if done improperly or too early. The clinic would probably ask you to undergo a blood test which is considered more accurate than the urine-based home pregnancy test. Both kinds of test measure the presence of a hormone called hCG in the body. During the early days of a pregnancy, the levels of hCG shoot up in a woman’s body. Also going to the clinic would prepare you for pre-natal care and help you explore your options.

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Talk to your parents

A pregnancy can be really scary if you are unprepared for it. You may be afraid that if your parents came to know about it, they would disown you or if your friends got wind of it, they would begin to avoid you. However you should never forget that your parents would be the first people to see that you are physically and emotionally healthy and happy, come what may. Therefore put your trust in them and you may be surprised to find out that they are the best place to turn to when you have a major problem like a pregnancy to deal with.

Confide to someone

If you are completely on your own or if it is impossible for you to confide in your parents, look for some other adult whom you can trust. See if there is someone in the family to whom you can talk about your pregnancy – perhaps an aunt, an older cousin, a grandparent or any other relative. If you are close to a neighbor, a friend’s parent, or friends of your own parents, consider revealing your dilemma to them. Or how about a teacher, your school nurse or guidance counselor? Anyone will do as long as he or she is trustworthy and has your best interests at heart.

Consider your health

Keeping your pregnancy a secret is just not the way to deal with it. Apart from the fact that it is not something that can be hidden for long, you must understand that the longer you hide it, the more you put yourself – and your baby – in danger. A study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in United States found that babies of teen mothers are more likely to die than others within the first year of their lives. Researchers believe that at least one of the reasons may have to do with the fact such young mothers are more likely to hide the pregnancy and birth of the child.

Look for community resources

If you do not think there are any adults who you can trust with your problem, then take the help of a reliable community organization. In the United States, Planned Parenthood is such an organization which has its own clinics in most towns. The clinics are reputed to be teen-friendly and take care to maintain the privacy of their patients. Moreover they charge only what the patient can afford to pay. Other than this, you can also take the help of your school clinic or counseling center. Or look through your phone book for local or community counseling centers under “Pregnancy Counseling” or “Crisis Pregnancy Counseling”.

Know your options

The purpose of confiding in an adult or going to a counseling center is not only to safeguard your health but to know your options on how to deal with the pregnancy. There are usually three ways of going about it – abortion, adoption or parenting. Thoroughly consider the pros and cons of each option and see what best suits your physical, emotional, financial and family conditions. Involve your parents or guardians while you make your decision. However there are certain counseling centers which follow their own agenda and may try to talk you out of abortion into considering adoption or parenting. Such centers usually use the words “abortion education information” or “abortion alternatives”. Go to these centers only if you are sure that you don’t want an abortion.

An unplanned pregnancy is undoubtedly a distressing experience when you are young and unprepared. However it is not the end of the world and there are people who can help you through it. So take a decision after considering all available options and once you do that be brave and go ahead with it.