Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy
Women often face difficult decisions when pregnancy is unintended. What are your choices?
If you are pregnant, there are generally three choices:
- You can choose to have a baby and raise the child.
- You can choose to have a baby and place the child for adoption.
- You can choose to end the pregnancy.
There is no right or wrong choice for everyone. Only you can decide which choice is right for you, but deciding may not feel easy to do -- there is a lot to think about.
How can I decide which choice is best for me?
Consider each of your choices carefully. Ask yourself:
- Which choice(s) could I live with?
- Which choice(s) would be impossible for me?
- How would each choice affect my everyday life?
- What would each choice mean to the people closest to me?
It may also help to ask yourself:
- What is going on in my life?
- What are my plans for the future?
- How do each of the choices fit with my values and beliefs?
- What do I believe is best for me in the long run?
- What can I afford?
Additional Support
Talk to someone you think will be supportive, such as a partner, a family member, or a trusted friend. There are also counselors who can talk with you about your options. A counselor will try to make sure that you are not being pressured into any decision. You may bring your partner, your parents, or someone else if you wish. You get to decide who will be a part of your decision-making process.
Look for an organization that will give you complete and unbiased information about all of your options. Many “crisis pregnancy centers” are anti-abortion and will not be supportive of all of the options available to you.
Options counseling is available at many family planning clinics, Backline (1-888-493-0092) and 24/7 throughout Oregon and Washington at Open Adoption & Family Services (OA&FS): 1-800-772-1115. OA&FS is a pro-choice, nonprofit organization. If you need help or more information, you can call your local Planned Parenthood center (visit www.plannedparenthood.org for a directory of health centers).
This page includes information from: "Considering All Options: Providing Unbiased Information and Support for Pregnant Teens," a collaborative training created by Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, Insights Teen Parent Program and Open Adoption & Family Services.