Delayed abortion among teenagers: can a population at risk be identified?
Although only a small proportion of abortions performed in the United States are second-trimester abortions, teenagers obtain a large percentage of them. Yet the literature on abortion seekers is remarkably lacking in a discussion of who the pregnant teenagers who seek abortions are, particularly those who seek second-trimester abortions. We report a study of 97 adolescents who turned for help to a public abortion clinic in Missouri during 1989. We examined the impact of demographic variables, social-behavioral variables, and pregnancy-related variables (pregnancy, contraception, and abortion histories and attitudes toward abortion) on the stage of pregnancy at which the teens arrived at the clinic. Only contraceptive use and a positive attitude toward abortion were predictive of late arrival at the abortion clinic.
Slonim-Nevo
V
V
Anson
J
J
Sova
J
J
D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors