TeenHealthFX - Answers - 15 Y.O. & Wants To Be Pregnant

ME & Relationships / Question
Published: March 27, 2002

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I'm a 15 y/o girl and I want to be pregnant. I have thought a lot about this and I know about all the responsibilities and such and I still want this child. Do you have any information other then talking me out of it?

Signed: 15 Y.O. & Wants To Be Pregnant

Dear 15 Y.O. & Wants To Be Pregnant,

TeenHealthFX's role is not to try to talk you out of wanting to become pregnant - it is to give you the information you need to make a truly informed decision about becoming pregnant and having a child. You can find quite a bit of information about pregnancy and childbirth available in books you can find in the library or a bookstore and websites.

Before consulting books and websites, TeenHealthFX recommends that you answer the following questions to help you decide if now is the best time for you to have a child:

What are your financial resources?
Where will you get money (or insurance) for prenatal care and for hospital expenses?
Where will you get money for clothing, food and shelter for you and your child?
What are your social resources?
Who will support your decision to have a child?
How will you go to school and raise a child?
Will the father be involved? Will you marry?
Who will watch the child when you need a break or want to go out or need to study?
Where will you live?

Ask yourself:

Why do I want a child now?
What are my expectations for having a child?
How do I see my life changing?
What kind of opportunities can I provide to my child?
Do I have the financial and/and or social resources to give my child the things that I think are important?
What kind of experience do I have with babies and children? Children are totally dependent on their parents for every need: food, clothing, shelter, education and love - this need is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for at least 18 years.

TeenHealthFX wants you to answer these questions as honestly and as completely as you can and then talk with an adult you trust about your feelings and your answers. By talking with a parent, an aunt or a teacher or your doctor you will give yourself the opportunity to discover if now is truly the best time for you to become a mother. If you cannot find someone to talk to and live in the Northern New Jersey area, you can contact the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973.971.6475; if you are out of this area, you can contact your local Planned Parenthood or your local teen health center.

Signed: TeenHealthFX