Unwanted Pregnancy

Question 1

Abortion

Answer 1

The termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of a fetus or embryo from the uterus

Question 2

Parental notification

Answer 2

One or both parents must be informed that their child (minor) is having an abortion

Question 3

Parental consent laws

Answer 3

Parent(s) have to be notified and give permission for their child to have an abortion

Question 4

Volition

Answer 4

Degree to which someone makes a decision voluntarily

Question 5

Judicial Bypass

Answer 5

Is when a young girl can’t tell her parents about needing an abortion, she can go to a judge, but not all states have this. It’s waiving parental consent

Question 6

Spontaneous Abortion

Answer 6

Miscarriage, unexpected end to a pregnancy

Question 7

The Prague Study

Answer 7

Study in the Czech Republic that examined the consequences of abortion restrictions for children born unwanted, followed the development and mental wellbeing of 220 children born in 1961-63 to adulthood in Prague to women twice denied abortion for the same unwanted pregnancy
(Note: NOT the same as the Turnaway study!)

Question 8

Key Points of the Prague Study

Answer 8

• The children of the unwanted pregnancy group had poorer outcomes (poor performance outcomes, poor development, less mature)
• The mothers of this group also were worse off than the mothers with accepted pregnancies (had relationship problems, were divorced, were unemployed, had more psychiatric problems, etc)
• Even if both mothers had the same resources, the control variable, the children of the unwanted pregnancies did significantly worse
• However, as children from both groups got older, the differences became smaller.

Question 9

What were the three claims/explanations made by legislators to enforce parental involvement laws?

Answer 9

1) Abortion may cause harm
2) Adolescents do not have the ability to provide informed consent/make good decisions
3) Parental involvement can help the adolescent

Question 10

What are the answers to these three claims?

Answer 10

1) Abortion actually does not cause psychological or physical harm
2) Adolescent abortion patients represent a group that actually make better informed decisions than pregnant adolescents
3) Parental involvement actually do not seem to be effective or helpful

**Make sure to review notes!

Question 11

What was the Turnaway Study?

Answer 11

Followed 1000 women who were either able to get an abortion or who were denied an abortion over many years.
- Most of the women who were denied an abortion missed the gestation period because they didn’t realize they were pregnant (this could be due to obesity or irregular menstrual periods)

Question 12

Key Ideas of the Turnaway Study

Answer 12

• Many of those who were turned away from abortion were living below the poverty line, were in contact with a violent partner, etc
• The children of women who were denied of abortion were more likely to be living at a level of poverty, less likely to be reaching developmental milestones in their life
• Higher anxiety and lower self-esteem in women who were denied abortions