Fiona Fennell, ContributorABORTION HAS always carried a negative stigma due to the issues of morality and ethics that surround the subject. In the past this was a subject that was explored openly because the thought of having an abortion was considered ludicrous. Such thinking has remained with many people, who cling to the Biblical view of not taking a life.
However, there is now an influx of radical perspectives that accept abortion as an economical way out.
Many teens have adopted this view because of various reasons, the dominant one being the fear teenage girls have of telling their parents that they are with child. Many parents have been known to 'throw' a pregnant daughter out of the house.
Another fear is that the expectant teen mother and father-to-be, who are not capable of taking care of themselves financially, will have added burden with the delivery.
There is a concern also about the risks youngsters, in particular, take in the attempt to abort a pregnancy. There are also home remedies that lead to even greater health risks, like drinking a Pepsi and taking a tablet!
There are three main ways of aborting a child, through a D&C (dilatation and curettage), menstrual aspiration and taking prostaglandin. Each method is used at different stages of pregnancy.
The first involves the dilation of the cervix, followed by a scraping away of the product of conception. The second involves the use of a syringe to aspirate the uterus. Both are used in the early stages of pregnancy. Prostaglandin is a tablet that brings on contractions in the uterus and can be used up to the fourth month.
Abortion is illegal in Jamaica unless a medical condition warrants it. The methods employed are hazardous to your health if they are not carried out by experts in that area. If the product of conception is not taken out you can become septic and may not be able to conceive in the future.
Often, too, teens do not look at the psychological impact of having an abortion. The guilt of lying to your parents and keeping the act a secret from friends and relatives are traumatic.
Many teens are unable to handle the situation financially and emotionally. In fact, abortion is an added stress that teenagers should not attempt to handle.
Fiona Fennell is a student of the University of the West Indies and one of several teenagers whose opinions will appear in this spot each week.
