Children Born to Women Who Were Denied Abortions.

In Many cases a women wants to obtain an abortion but circumstances (such as lack of money)
prevent the abortion. As a result many women will give birth to children who are not wanted. How do
children develop psychologically under these circumstances?. Because abortion has been legal in the
United States since 1973, researches canot examine this question in this country. However, several
studies in other countries provide some answers. Consider a long term study conducted with 220
children whose mothers were denied abortions in the former Czechoslovakia (David et al., 1988). Each
of these children was carefully matched with a child from a wanted pregnancy, so that the two groups
were comparable.

The study showed that, by 9 years of age the children from unwanted pregnancies had fewer
friends and responded poorly to stress, compared to children from wanted pregnancies. By age 23 the
children from unwanted pregnancies were more likely to report that then their mothers were not
interested in them. These children were also likely to receive psychological treatment. In addition, they
had more marital difficulties drug problems, conflicts at work, and trouble with the legal system.
Ongoing research about these two groups continues to show numerous problems when these unwanted
children are adults, whereas the wanted children have relatively few problems ( David & Lee, 2001).

Other similar studies show that many women who give birth to unwanted children continue to
report negative feelings toward those children many years later (Barber et al., 1999; Dagg, 1991). These
implications for childrens lives should be considered when governments try to make informed decisions
about abortion policies.

Alternatives to Abortion

Unplanned pregnancies can be resolved by methods other than abortion. For example, people
who oppose abortion often suggest the alternative of giving the baby up for adoption, and this might be
an appropriate choice for some women. However, adoption may create its own kind of trauma and pain
( David & Lee, 2001). One women who gave up her daughter for adoption commented two years later :

I’m said that I don’t see her the first step, the first tooth. I’m missing everything, missing
her discovering life. I love her, I love her to death. If tomorrow they were to call and say
there’s a problem, we need a heart, we need something, I’m there. I wouldn’t even
think twice about it. If that means I have to give my life for her, I’ll do it. (Englander,
1997, p. 114)

Another alternative is to deliver the baby and choose the motherhood option. In many cases, an
unwanted pregnancy can become a wanted baby by the time of delivery. However, thousands of babies
are born each year to mothers who do not want them. This situation can be destructive for both the
mother and the child. In the Unites States, most adolescents who deliver a baby are currently choosing
to become single mothers. Unfortunately, most unmarried teenage mothers encounter difficulties in
completing school, finding employment, fighting poverty, and facing the biases that unmarried mothers
often confront in our society.
 We have seen that none of these alternatives abortion, adoption, or motherhood is free of
problems. Instead, the answer that creates the least psychological pain appears to be pregnancy
prevention, so that women do not have to choose among the less than optimal alternatives.

SECTION SUMMARY

Birth Control and Abortion

1. About 1 million teen pregnancies occur each year in the Unites States; pregnancy rates are much
lower in Canada and West Europe.
2. Most forms of birth control are intended for the female rather than the male; no method is
completely problem free.
3. Many heterosexual, sexually active women do not use reliable birth control methods. Female
contraceptive use is related to social class, ethnicity, education, and personality characteristics
such as self esteem and risk taking.
4. Couples avoid using birth control because of inadequate information, unavailable contraceptive
services, inadequate planning, irrational thinking, reluctance to admit they are sexually active,
and the feeling that birth control devices are not romantic. Also, many women cannot convince
their partners to use birth control.
5. Some developing countries have instituded family planning programs,whereas others do not
support these programs. Literacy is highly correlated with women’s contraceptive use.
6. Before Roe v. Wade, thousands of women died each year from illegal abortions; currently,
health care providers are being threatened if they perform abortions. Legal abortions are much
safer than childbirth.
7. Following an abortion, most women experience a feeling of relief, although some women
report sadness; adjustment is best when the abortion occurs early in pregnancy, when the
women feels competent, and when friends and family are supportive.
8. Children born to women who have been denied an abortion are significantly more likely to
experience psychological and social difficulties than children from a wanted pregnancy.
9. In general, giving up a child for adoption is not an emotionally satisfactory alternative, and
women who choose the motherhood option face many difficulties. Pregnancy prevention is the
preferable solution.