Pregnant teenagers

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.

Every year around 10,000 girls under the age of 18 become pregnant in Germany. For most, the marks on the pregnancy test are initially a shock. Especially when you are very young, the idea of having a baby can be terrifying. What about school or training? What will my friend say about this? And what about parents and friends?
Even when the problems seem big at first, half of the pregnant girls decide to have the child. Just as many have an abortion carried out.

Make the right decision

The most important thing in this situation is to make a well-considered decision. It is best to get advice from a neutral advice center like pro Familia. There they can answer the most important questions and explain to you what options and offers of help are available. Particularly important: Don't just make the decision with your head, but also listen to your gut instinct.

The final decision on whether or not to have the child is yours alone. But talk to the child's father anyway and include him in the decision. After all, it is also his child that is at stake.

Decision to have a child

Many girls accept the challenge of becoming mothers, even though their lives then turn out very differently than planned. But there are also some girls who want a child because they are not getting on well with their life, for example because school is not going so well, because they have no other plans for their future or because they hope To have such a little person to himself who loves her unconditionally.

Such reasons for having a child are problematic. It is not good for the child to be in the world for a purpose that it may or may not be able to fulfill. It is not good for the mother if she has no plans of her own besides the child.

Having a child means taking on a lot of responsibility, but on the other hand, you shouldn't completely give up your own life plans. For example, with the appropriate state and family support, it is possible that you continue to attend school or finish an apprenticeship.

When deciding to have a child, you may find it helpful to clarify the following questions:

What do you like about the thought of having a child now?
What fears and worries do you have when you think about having a child?
What does the father of the child say about the pregnancy?
Do you want to stay with him and do you want to raise the child together?
What support is there from the state?
Who else can help you when the child is born?

Decision to abort

If, as a young girl, you decide against having a child, that's perfectly understandable. But even if you want to have an abortion, you should find out beforehand about options that could help you have the child after all. You may see things differently when you know what support you can get. You may also find that putting the child up for adoption is a better decision for you.

If you decide against having a child, it may help you to understand the following points:

Are you coping with the idea of an abortion or are you morally concerned?
Have you considered the alternative of adoption?
Do you know about the termination of pregnancy, for example what risks and deadlines there are, how it works and what it costs?
Who can support you emotionally and accompany you to the abortion?

Legal requirements

In Germany, termination of pregnancy is only possible up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. Exceptions are, for example, cases in which the mother's health is at risk. To cancel, you need proof that you have visited a counseling center at least three days before the appointment.

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