Ask Sam letter

Hello,

Thank you for your letter and for being brave enough to ask for support. From what you’ve told me, it sounds like you’re feeling scared and unsure about what to do next.

You’ve asked whether you can have an abortion without your parents finding out.
In England, Scotland and Wales, the law says that at 15 you can have an abortion without telling your parents, as long as two doctors agree that you are mature enough to make that choice by yourself. However, you may well be encouraged to let you parents/carers know, because it’s really important to make sure you’ve got plenty of support when you’re making decisions about abortion.

I understand that unfortunately parents might not always be the best people to support someone through an abortion. You haven’t said much about your relationship with your parents, but I can hear that you really don’t want them to know about your pregnancy. It sounds like you’ve been able to tell your boyfriend’s mum though, which is good to hear. You’ve asked if she would be able to come with you, and I think it sounds like a good idea to go to the clinic with someone who you trust. It might be that she has to stay outside the room where you have your appointment, but you would need to check that with the particular clinic you go to.

You can also visit the pregnancy information pages on the ChildLine website to find out more about abortion, including information about Northern Ireland and Jersey. It’s best to get advice from a doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you are considering abortion. You can go to your GP, or your local young people’s sexual health clinic (See the NHS website for details of your nearest clinic), or you could visit a Brook Centre.

If you would like to talk about this or anything else some more, you can chat with a ChildLine counsellor by calling 0800 1111, which is free from any phone, or by logging in to a 1-2-1 chat via the website.

Take care,

Sam