Citation

Clave M. Rev. Infirm. 1985; 35(13): 24-30.

Vernacular Title

Quand grossesse ne peut rimer avec jeunesse.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1985, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

3849862

Abstract

School nurses, family planning counsellors, and midwives from an abortion clinic in France were interviewed concerning their experiences with adolescents requesting abortions. Despite widespread a availability of contraception, adolescents still become pregnant for a variety of reasons: to prove that they can be seductive, because they fail to anticipate sexual relations or believe they are too young to become pregnant, because they fear the side effects of oral contraceptives, or because they perceive contraception as unromantic. There appear to be 3 principal causes of adolescent pregnancy: At the socioeconomic level, girls of NOrth African or Mediterranean origin may engage in early sexual activity in order to feel loved using their bodies which they regard as their only real possessions. French girls who become pregnant at an early age usually characterized by marginal or immature mental and social behavior. At the level of parent-child relationships, adolescents who become pregnant often lack the ability to communicate openly with their mothers. At the level of contraceptive information, adolescents may not retain information unless it is relevant to them at the exact moment they receive it. Group courses on sex education and contraception should be supplemented by individual follow-up to answer the questions of each student. Girls who need contraception or fear they may be pregnant may seek out school nurses, particularly those who respect the students' desire for confidentiality. Such girls seek support so they can get through an unpleasant experience in the least dramatic way possible. The school nurse can be of assistance in obtaining a pregnancy test. At the moment that a positive result is announced, the nurse or counselor should confront her own biases since what she says to the student and the way in which she says it may influence the student's decision regarding the pregnancy. Most girls have already decided they want to terminate the pregnancy. In some cases, the girl does not recognize the day-to-day impact of an early pregnancy for a family in difficult circumstances. Girls wishing to continue the pregnancy may use it to force a marriage or escape overly strict parents. Counselors and nurses encourage girls to inform their parents of the pregnancy. From a practical standpoint, parental permission is a legal requirement for abortion in a minor, and the costs of abortions not covered by social security are considerable. Also, it is psychologically difficult for an adolescent to keep such an important event secret. Difficult situations may arise with girls who threaten suicide if their parents are told, or with those who hide their pregnancies beyond the legal time limit for abortion. The importance of the interviews preceding or following the abortion for encouraging reflection on the cause of the pregnancy cannot be overemphasized. Most adolescents come through the actual abortion with few problems.

Language: fr