2. The Statistics
In the US, over 3,000,000 unintended pregnancies
happen every year
47% of the 3,000,000 unintended pregnancies result
from 3,000,000 American women who use no
contraception
53% of the 3,000,000 unintended pregnancies result
from 39,000,000 American women who use birth
control
The vast majority of unintended pregnancies among
women who use birth control are as a result of
inconsistent or incorrect use
3. Pregnancy signs
Varies from woman to woman
Common signs:
Lighter, shorter, or missed menstrual period
Tenderness or enlargement of breasts
Sensitivity of nipples
Urinating frequently
Feeling more tired than usual
Feeling nauseas and/or vomiting
Feeling bloated
Cramps
Decreased or increased appetite
Heightened emotions (more than usual)
Feeling some of these symptoms doesn‟t automatically mean that you‟re pregnant
If you don‟t want to be pregnant, don‟t assume that you are pregnant Continue to
take birth control until you take the test
4. Many women can become
pregnant
Any woman who has had intercourse with a man, has begun
her period, and has not yet reached menopause, can
become pregnant at any moment (no matter how young or
how old)
Every method of birth control can fail, even seemingly
perfect methods such as tubal ligation
And even though rare, it is also possible to become
pregnant without intercourse if the man‟s sperm gets close
enough to the vagina
If you think you may be pregnant now, take a pregnancy test
within the next 24 hours
5. Pregnancy testing
Simplest way to find out if you are pregnant is through a home pregnancy test using your
first urination of the day
Home pregnancy tests cost between $6 and $12, are easily available, and can be taken
at the time of your missed period (which is typically two weeks after ovulation)
A blood test can also be used to detect pregnancy and can be taken as early as 6 to 8
days after ovulation
Medical offices, women‟s health centers and family planning clinics offer both urine and
blood tests
Both blood and urine tests detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
hCG is a hormone present during pregnancy that first shows up in the bloodstream and then in
urine
Be cautious with negative results from urine tests as tests can be negative due to errors
in performing the test or simply because you tested too early
Be aware that there are a variety of opinions about pregnancy and abortion and if you
become pregnant some people may try to push their opinions on you In the end you
need to choose what‟s right for you and separating others opinions from how you feel is
incredibly important
6. And the verdict is…
NOT PREGNANT
RELIEF
Some tips to avoid the scare of being pregnant if you are not ready or
do not want to have children:
Learn about other contraception methods better suited for you so you
can avoid a pregnancy scare in the future
If you are a victim of sexual abuse, get help!
National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network – 1-800-656-HOPE
Learn where to get emergency contraception (maybe even keep some
on hand just in case)
Go to a women‟s health or family planning clinic and talk to a counselor
REGRET
If you turn out to not be pregnant but realize that you wish you
were, there is now plenty of time to plan!
7. And the verdict is…
PREGNANT
When you first learn that you are pregnant it takes a
while for both you and your partner to adjust
(emotionally, spiritually, economically etc.), no matter
how ready you thought you were
No matter how long it takes to adjust it‟s important to
remember to trust yourself By doing so you can learn
what is best for you
Take the time to think through possibilities through things
such as quiet reflection, talking with family and
friends, counseling, writing or anything else that works
best for you
8. When most women find out
Finding out that you are pregnant two months into
pregnancy is not uncommon:
Many women take signs of pregnancy as stress, digestive
problems, and even sickness such as the flu
Some women believe themselves to be infertile due to either
long periods of time with failed attempts or by continually
taking risks without results of pregnancy
Other women are reluctant to make decisions about pregnancy
and they wait so long that their options become very limited
And for some pregnancy is simply unthinkable and as a result
they do not accept the signs
9. What‟s the next step?
Once you find out that you‟re pregnant, the next step is to decide
whether to continue on with the pregnancy or have an abortion
If you choose to continue on with the pregnancy the next step is to decide
whether you plan on raising the child yourself or having the child raised
through a closed or open adoption or foster care
It is not uncommon to take a long time to decide what the next step it
as your body is going through many hormonal changes that affect
how you feel
It is extremely responsible and moral to take as long as you need to
figure out what the right choice is for you as long as you continue the
pregnancy with medical care until you make your decision
Additionally, it is important to know that teenagers, who are still in the
process of physically maturing, are four times more likely to die as a
result of pregnancy-related causes than an older woman
10. Who to turn to
The best support during pregnancy is from a partner who is both loving and nurturing and can
offer you support throughout the process, especially important during an unexpected pregnancy
But not everyone has someone like this in their life
During pregnancy women face a variety of pressures
Pressure from their family:
Family members who think they knows what‟s best for everyone
Family members who have strong beliefs about abortion
Family members‟ religious beliefs, identity as a caretaker, mourning over the loss of a child etc.
Parents who are ashamed of their children and have concerns about the effects of a child on them
Pressure from their partner:
Partners who feel strongly one way or the other without consideration for what would be best for you
Partners who believe a child will fix everything
Partners who want a child in order to control your life
In either case, if your loved ones have strong opinions about what you should do it is important to
find support in order to stand up against what they believe or you could wait until you are concrete
in your decision before telling anyone the news The most important thing is that you follow your
heart and do what you believe is best for you
12. Abortion
Abortion is a safe and legal option in the US but can be
stressful as a result of your age, financial situation, or
where you live
The first three months of pregnancy (calculated from
your last period) is the easiest, safest, and most
affordable time to have an abortion
After 12 weeks having an abortion becomes incredibly
difficult
13. Parenting
With an emotionally nurturing and consistent caretaker
babies are incredibly adaptable and resilient as long as
they are comfortable, safe, and properly fed
More and more children are growing up without a father
around, but as women become more economically
independent and empowered it is much more socially
acceptable for them to parent on their own or with the
father of the child
14. Foster Care
Shared child rearing among friends and extended
families in order to give every child a chance to flourish
is a very common system throughout the US and
around the world
Important steps in choosing Foster Care:
Obtain a lawyer in order to negotiate informal or
government (formal) foster care
Ensure that the guardian can make educational and
medial decisions while you are gone
Learn the process for regaining custody, especially with
formal care, so that you don‟t end up permanently losing
your parental rights
15. Adoption (Part 1)
Due to middle-class mothers using adoption as a method of hiding
children of „unacceptable‟ (p. 387) relationships dating back to the
1970s, the secretive nature of closed adoptions is now considered
to be psychologically unhealthy for both the mother and her child
Today the number of mothers who choose open adoptions for their
children is increasing
Open adoptions allow mothers to have some level of contact with their
children
Considerations in a closed adoption
Consider choosing an agency that will keep information about you on
hand to give to the child if the adoptive family requests it
Consider choosing an agency that can update you late on how things
are going in case you change your mind about never wanting to know
16. Adoption (Part 2)
A good adoption agency will treat you like a client, will pay for your
legal and counseling services , will not offer you money for your
child, and will prioritize matching the child‟s background with that
of the adoptive parents
Standard practice allows mothers to choose an appropriate
adoptive family for her child from a pool of applicants
Adoptive parents don‟t always have to be found through
agencies, they can also be found through a medical practitioner, a
lawyer, a newspaper ad or an independent adoption facilitator
In these situations an adoption plan would be made directly with
the adoptive parents and/or lawyer instead of through an adoption
agency
In any adoption situation, whether it‟s through an agency or it‟s a
private adoption, it is recommended that you have not only your
own lawyer but your own counselor as well as a counselor can
work with the father of the child as well as both of your families
17. After the choice…
After you have made your choice it is important to not be too hard
on yourself and whichever route you eventually take it is
important to understand that it is only naturally to mourn the path
you choose not to follow
But this should be only taken as a loss, not a sign that you made
the wrong decision
It is very important to have support during this time of potential
grief
In general, the more informed you are about your feelings and
the options you have, the more likely you are to feel satisfied not
only with your decision but also with your life to come
18. Discussion Question and Quote
Question:
If a woman decides that she does not want to keep her
baby, what do you think is the best option available to her
and why? Is it the best option for the child as well?
Quote:
“About half of the pregnancies in women over forty years
old are unintended, a higher rate than for all other age
groups except teenagers/young women; for these
pregnancies, women over forty have the highest rate of
abortion of any age group” (p. 382)
