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Pregnancy

Hi Sam,

I’m a 16 year old girl. I had unprotected sex nearly two weeks ago and now I think I may be pregnant I don’t know what to do because if I am I’m sacred of how my parents will react. So if I am I may get an abortion without telling them but I don’t know if I could cope with getting rid of it but I don’t think my parents would let me keep it. I’m really worried I don‘t know what to do. Please can you reply I really need your help.

Thanks Louise

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Sam

Hi there,

Thinking you might be pregnant can be scary, whether it something you have planned or not. It’s possible to be pregnant if you’ve had vaginal sex without using contraception, but it’s not certain that you will be. And you can be at risk of pregnancy if something goes wrong with the contraception you used, like if a condom splits or if you forget to take your contraceptive pill.

It’s probably more helpful to find out if you are pregnant or not first, before worrying about your choices. The only way to know for certain is to take a pregnancy test. You can buy one in a supermarket or pharmacy or you can have a free test at your doctors, Brook services, young people’s sexual health (GUM) clinics. Do the test when your period would normally be due or three weeks after you had unprotected sex for the most accurate results.

A positive test means you’re almost certainly pregnant, and it’s your decision whether you want to continue or end the pregnancy. If you decide to continue with the pregnancy you can either keep the child or place the child for adoption.

If you decide to end the pregnancy then you can do that by having an abortion, as long as it’s early enough. Remember, it’s your choice and there is support available to help you make the right decision for you. Your parents or partner can’t stop you from having an abortion or from continuing with the pregnancy, even if you’re under 16 years old. It’s your decision and there isn’t a right or wrong answer. If you want to talk more about how you’re feeling with someone anonymously you could always chat with our counsellors. They are there for you and won’t judge.

Thank you for writing to me and I hope this advice is helpful.

Take care,

Sam

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