The abortion definition and teenage abortion rates
Abortion is a term that refers to the process in which pregnancy is terminated. It is a topic that has generated much debate over the years in most nations across the globe. In the United States, it remains one of the most debatable issues in the societal and political grounds. The procedure can be conducted due to various reasons such as in the event of saving a motherts life, premature pregnancies, and unwanted pregnancies that could have resulted due to cases such as rape. There are rising cases of females, especially the under aged who seek for abortion. Minors are allowed to abort their pregnancy in most American states but with consent of their parents. Although abortion is permitted in the United States, the rising cases of the under aged girls seeking for the procedure is worrying.
The Rates of Teenage Abortion Create a Picture of Increase in the Rates of Unprotected Sex and Immorality
The statistics of minors seeking to abort creates a picture of deteriorating moral standards of the young generation. Reports indicate that an estimate of one million teenage girls in the United States get pregnant annually (WHO, 2014). Of those, thirty-five percent opt to have an abortion rather than keep the pregnancy. Approximately seventy-eight percent of the teenage pregnancies are often unintended and unplanned for (Clark, 2014). These statistics, therefore, indicate the level of sexual activities that minors involve in, and creates a picture of the deteriorating moral standards and irresponsibility among the young people. However, adults are responsible for some of the pregnancies through either rape or enticement, and this, therefore, indicates how unsafe the young girls are.
The rates of abortion among minors also create a picture of the society we live in today. The rates can be associated with the roles that the media and technology play on the morality of the young generation. Some of the immorality shared in the social media could have a direct effect on the rising cases of teenage pregnancies and the consequent abortion. Parents are also responsible for the conduct of minors, and this is the reason for the parental consent in case a minor seeks for the termination of pregnancy. Failure of parents to properly guide their children, especially girls, could be the reason for the rising rates of abortion.
Health Risks of teen vogue abortion
The process of abortion can be harmful to the health of the young girls. The methods of abortion are characterized by some health issues, which can affect the minor even after undertaking the procedure. One of the health complications is the post abortion triad that involves bleeding, pains, and low-grade fever. Such can affect the activity and psychological health of the girl. Other complications include uterine perforation, bowel and bladder injury, cervical injury, septicemia, and hematometra. The complications can pose risks to the health of the young woman at varying degrees, and in some cases, the complications could be fatal.
Procedures used in conducting the abortions could also affect the reproductive health of the minor leading to complicated pregnancies in future, including the inability to get pregnant. According to WHO (2014), approximately three million precarious abortions among fifteen to nineteen year old girls are carried out every year. This leads to the rise in long lasting health complications.
Medical termination of pregnancy can be performed on a minor with their parentts consent as provided by the laws of most states in America. Amid the ethical considerations that insist on the consent of the parent, the procedure can affect the psychological health of the minor. Patil, Dode, & Ahirrao (2014) suggest that the process can result in severe mental trauma that can lead to a long-term mental instability, and cases of psychiatric problems. Some of the girls may develop a poor self-image and the feeling of being odd among other people, hence resulting in solitude, depression; and in severe cases, the process can lead to suicidal thoughts or substance abuse (Clark, 2014). The fact that the process has to involve getting consent from their parents creates even greater psychological complications to the young girl.
Most of the psychological complications among teens who abort arise from the belief they hold concerning the pregnancy. Some of the beliefs are based on religion; especially the fact abortion that is considered a sin among most religious groups. Personal beliefs can create serious problems in the psychology of the girl, leading to the feeling of isolation and guilt. Also, most of the pregnancies are often unplanned and can, therefore, lead to situations where the girl becomes emotional about her moral conduct.
An examples of social problems after abortion in young age
Teenagers who terminate their pregnancies during an early age are more likely to have additional abortions later in life. This is a worrying concern on the kind of a woman the American law creates by legalizing teenage abortion. The provision of the law makes the teenagers less cautious about their morals and makes them realize that there is a chance of terminating a pregnancy when one occurs in an unexpected manner. An estimate of forty-five percent of all abortions in the United States is repeated, and most of the people who terminated their pregnancy at an adult age reported to have aborted at least once when they were minors (Americanpregnancy.org, 2016). The issue of repeated abortion could also result to self-punishments, which at times are risky to the individual.
Teenage abortions lead to social problems in the future of the girl. Most of the minors who undertake the procedure undergo a long-term psychological disturbance, which affects their social wellbeing. Most of the young girls develop relationship problems that may arise from abortion-related antiphons such as a great distrust of males, volatile anger, lowered self-esteem, and increased anxiety. In fact, teenage abortions could be one of the major underlying factors that lead to an increase in cases of single-motherhood.
Conclusion
Abortion can take place due to various reasons including medical related or self-related causes. In the United States, most states allow minors to undertake an abortion with the consent of their parents. Such raises different reactions among the people, and although most individuals find no problem with the procedure, there is a worrying concern over the increase in the rate of minors who opt to terminate their pregnancies. Some of the concerns include the image of increased immorality and unprotected sex, the health risks that the minor face during and after the process, and the detrimental effects that the process could have in the future of the girl. However, even with the ethical concerns on the increased rates of abortion among teens, it is important to consider the causes of abortion as some of the unintended pregnancies come about due to criminal acts such as rape.
References
Americanpregnancy.org. (2016, September 02). Emotional Side Effects After an Abortion. Retrieved March 05, 2017, from http://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/abortion-emotional-effects/
Clark, C. (2014). Teenagers and Abortion. Retrieved March 05, 2017, from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1991070500
Patil, A. B., Dode, P., & Ahirrao, A. (2014). Medical Ethics in Abortion.T Indian J Clin Practice,T 25, 544-8.
WHO. (2014). Adolescent pregnancy. Retrieved March 05, 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs364/en/
