[Voluntary inerruption of pregnancy in adolescents from 13 to 18 years of age. Clinical and sociologic analysis of 295 cases].
The study reports on 295 cases of induced abortion in teenagers (13-18 years) performed in Belgium (where abortion remains illegal), in 1979. This group was compared with a group of 2968 women aged 19-48, also aborted in 1979, for clinical and sociodemographic analysis. The comparative situations of the young patient and he partner were also studied. The latter were elder (62% over 25 years), had higher levels of income, of education, and had better jobs. No difference was found between younger and older patients as concerns access to centres, mean ages of pregnancy (although teenagers presented more often advanced pregnancies: 9.5% between 12 and 16 weeks and 4.5% between 17 and 21), religion, instruction, psychological reactions. We found that different people came with patients at different age groups (parents with the younger, partners with the older). There were fewer foreigners in the younger group and of course there were differences in numbers of previous pregnancies, parity, marital status and income. A stable relationship was rarer in the younger (39%) than in the older (66%). Contraception was indeed used by young patients (61%) but they chose less effective methods (61%) and often admitted that they used the methods wrongly (66%). It is no surprise that young patients mainly ask for abortion (54%) because of socio-economic motives. The second reason was because there was no stable relationship (17%). The discussion covers the special problems of abortion in adolescents and emphasizes the very difficult social situation, the need for support by health workers. Better education should lead to conscious acknowledgment of the consequences of sexual activity.
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003267:Contraception; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012961:Sociology
Interruptions volontaires de grossesse chez des adolescentes âgées de 13 à 18 ans. Analyse clinique et sociologique de 295 cas.