Young People

If you are pregnant - or think you are - you’ve probably got a huge number of questions and perhaps are unsure about what to do. We hope that the information here answers some of your questions but if you want to know more, please contact us. Our staff are very experienced and friendly, and they won’t be shocked or surprised by anything you say.

You may also wish to contact Brook who provide free and confidential sexual health advice and services specifically for young people under 25.

Pregnancy Test If you think you may be pregnant, the first thing to do is to find out whether you really are. A pregnancy test is the most reliable way to confirm you are pregnant.
You can get a pregnancy test at bpas centres, as well as at through your doctor, family planning clinic, Brook centre or pharmacy.  If you come to bpas, we can offer you a free pregnancy test, as well as having trained staff on hand to help, whatever the outcome. For more information click here.

Emergency Contraception
If you have had sex without using any contraception you may be able to prevent yourself becoming pregnant by using emergency contraception. To do this you need to act as quickly as possible, as the sooner you can take action the better your chances are of preventing a pregnancy. For more information about Emergency Contraception and where to get it click here

	Parents Many young people who come to our clinics are supported by their parents but you do not have to tell yours if you don’t want to. We will not tell your parents that you are seeking abortion or advice at anystage of the process without your consent.
The decision on who you tell or not will rest with you. Some young women find it easier to tell a trusted friend, parent or older sibling to have their support through this difficult time.

If you decide to go through with treatment you don’t need to have your parent’s consent or even the consent of the father as the decision is entirely yours. You can come on your own for treatment but we do suggest you bring someone on the day if possible. 

Your rights to confidential advice
Confidentiality means that what you say to bpas staff stays private. If you want an abortion, you will have an opportunity to talk to our staff to make sure that you are fully aware of what is involved. If you’re sure it’s what you want to do and you understand everything that will happen, you can agree to the abortion by yourself. You won’t need to tell anyone else - not even your GP or school.

All staff at bpas will respect your confidentiality and will not give anyone else information about you, even if you are under the age of 16, unless you agree to this. The only time we would need to tell someone else would be if we thought you or another person was in serious danger. In that case, we would always try to tell you what we were going to do first.

Sex and the law It is legal in England, Scotland and Wales for young men and women to have sex once they are both 16. In Northern Ireland the age is 17. Prosecutions for having sex under these ages are rare as long as both people consented and there is no evidence of exploitation or a large age difference.
Young people also have the right to say no to sex or any other behaviour that makes them uncomfortable.

If you are thinking about having sex then the time is right to start thinking about contraception. To find out how to use a condom click here and for more information on other types of contraception click here

What is an abortion?
Abortion (you might have heard it called a termination of pregnancy) is a treatment that ends an unwanted pregnancy. An abortion can be carried out medically or surgically. A medical abortion means taking medicines that bring on an abortion, like having a miscarriage. A surgical abortion is where the pregnancy is removed from the womb and most often, the woman is put to sleep while this is done. Most abortions can be provided on a day care basis, which means you do not need to stay at a clinic overnight.

A woman of any age can have an abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy as long as two doctors agree she has good reasons under the 1967 Abortion Act agreed by the Government. The most common reason to end a pregnancy legally is that continuing with that pregnancy would be damaging to the woman’s health. Often young women find that this is connected to money or social factors, now or in the future, such as continuing your education. Gaining the signatures of two doctors to an abortion is part of the consultation procedure offered by bpas.

bpas will not force you into making a particular decision about your pregnancy. Our trained staff can give you lots of information about pregnancy options, including abortion but it will be your choice as to which of those options is best for you. If you do decide that abortion is the right choice for you, your treatment options will depend on a number of factors such as how many weeks pregnant you are and what kind of treatment you might prefer. At bpas can we can help you with all of these choices.

Every year almost 10,000 teenagers have abortions provided by bpas - and something like one in 10 of those are for young people aged 15 or under.

Here is Hannah's story...

	“I was at school at the time when it happened. Me and my boyfriend had been together for six months. I felt we were ready to go all the way but the second time we did it the condom broke.
I didn’t think that I would get pregnant from that but when my period was late and I felt sick in the morning I started to panic. I was only fifteen and really worried. I didn’t want my parents to find out and I didn’t want to go to my doctor.

I found the number for bpas on the internet. I called them from my friend’s mobile and they were really nice.  They said they wouldn’t tell my parents, school or doctor. I went to a clinic where they listened to me and told me what my choices were. I thought they would have a go at me but they listened to my side, at last I wasn’t so alone. I decided to have an abortion and for me I think it was the best decision.
 
I’m 19 now and I’ve just finished my first year at Uni. If I’d had a baby I don’t know what I would have done. I’m still with my boyfriend and we still use condoms, as I don’t want to go on the Pill. At bpas a nurse told me about emergency contraception which I can keep just in case we have another accident. I’ve been lucky, I’ve not needed it but you never know. I definitely don’t want to go through this again.”
 
To read the stories of other women who have been in this situation click here.