Pregnancy

I think I might be pregnant!

If your period is 2 or more weeks late. What do you do? Although it may be very tempting to try and ignore it, and keep your fingers crossed, finding out for certain one way or another as soon as possible is the best thing to do, as it can help offer you more choices about what to do with the result. You can...

• Visit a sexual health clinic or young people's clinic. They will offer you confidential advice, information, a free test and an immediate result.
• See your doctor who will carry out a confidential pregnancy test and tell you if you are pregnant (this may take a couple of days at some G.Ps)
• Chemists can do pregnancy tests for you but you will have to pay for it.
• Or you can buy a home pregnancy test kit and do the test in private.

What if it's negative?

If the result is negative you may be breathing a huge sigh of relief... But don't forget to think about how you got into the position of needing a test in the first place! It is easy to access contraception, information and advice through Sexual Health or Young People's Clinics in order to help prevent a similar situation occurring.

What if it's positive?

You will usually have three choices;

• You can continue with the pregnancy and bring up your child,
• You can continue the pregnancy and then give the baby up for adoption,
• Or you can have a termination of the pregnancy.

None of these may feel like exactly the right choice, just the best thing to do in the circumstances. Whatever you do, try to seek advice as soon as you miss a period (or if you think you could be pregnant after unprotected sex as very occasionally some girls can still have periods even when they are pregnant) as you can get support with making the decision and the action you need to take regardless of the outcome. If you decide to get a termination, you are more likely to get treated in Gloucestershire the earlier you seek help. It is vital that you do everything possible to make the right decision, because the consequences can last two lifetimes. So talk, if you can, to your partner in the pregnancy, your parents, trusted adults, your close friends, and your doctor or nurse or clinic staff.

Termination (abortion)

This must always be your decision ultimately but it usually helps to talk to someone about it, such as staff at a sexual health or young person's clinic, as well as family or friends, before finally making a decision. If you are considering a termination it is a good idea to attend a clinic even if you are not yet certain, the procedure will not happen unless you are sure, however it will speed things up when you have made your decision, and the earlier a termination takes place the better it is for your health.

An abortion may be legally carried out if:

• Two doctors agree that continuing the pregnancy would risk the life of the mother or risk injury to her physical or mental health. Concern over the mother's mental health is a common reason for doctors to allow a termination. This doesn't mean that they think she will go mad, but they believe (for example) that she is likely to be under excessive emotional strain.
• Two doctors agree that there is substantial risk that the child might be born seriously mentally or physically handicapped.

Other points to remember are that...

• The termination must be carried our before the 24th week of pregnancy. If you want the termination on the national health, you'll need to start making arrangements before the 12th week of your pregnancy (in some areas of the country a late termination is not available);
• If you're under 16, it is possible to have a termination without your parent's consent if the two doctors think that you are mature enough to understand what their decision really means (though this is rare, doctors will always prefer that parents/carers be involved in the decision, because you will need support). Terminations later in the pregnancy are more likely to need parental consent, as the procedure involves a general anaesthetic
• The would-be father, has no right to prevent you from having a legal abortion.
• A doctor does not have to refer you for an abortion if it is against his or her conscience (for instance because of their personal religious beliefs). If this happens, they should tell you of another doctor that you can see.

Keeping your baby

Raising a child is very hard work - ask your parents or carers! It involves sacrifices at every stage, it's financially demanding and can leave you feeling permanently frazzled. But it can also be hugely rewarding, and something you wouldn't change for the world. Of course, only being a parent can reveal what its really like, but asking lots of questions before hand can give you an idea of how well you will cope with parenthood.

Have a think about these things:

• Do you feel ready for a child, and prepared to make a lifelong commitment as a parent, maybe you think you will be a great parent, but just not yet.
• What role will the child's father play?
• How will you support yourself and your baby?
• Where will you live?
• What kind of support do you have around you?
• What will happen in terms of your education and/or your future career?

If you are thinking about carrying on with your pregnancy it is important to let your GP know as soon as possible so that they can arrange for you to have ante natal care and meet with a midwife. There are special services in Gloucestershire tailored for younger mums, and they will make sure you have the right support.

Adoption

Giving up a baby for adoption is a difficult decision, so it's best for you, and the father, to talk to someone about it as early as possible in the pregnancy, such as your G.P or midwife.

The hospital social worker will discuss with you what kind of family you want your child to grow up in. When the child has settled down with its new family, the adoptive parents will get the adoption finally approved by the court. After your child is adopted, neither you or the father has any further rights to see her or him, although your child can get in touch with you after she or he has turned 18.