Factors Predicting Pregnancy Resolution Decision Satisfaction of Unmarried Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Premaritally pregnant Caucasian and Mexican-American adolescents (N = 299) aged 13 to 19 years who received pregnancy counseling, pregnancy termination, or prenatal services at a county clinic were reinterviewed six months after delivery or abortion to assess postdecision satisfaction. More than 80% making each decision (i.e., abortion, single-motherhood, marriage) said they would make the same decision again. There were no significant effects of decision alternative, ethnicity/religion, or age on satisfaction. Among aborters, four factors–positive preprocedure abortion opinion, more liberal attitudes towards abortion for others, consistent contraceptive use following abortion, and their mothers' higher educational attainment–accounted for about 20% of the variance in satisfaction. Among single mothers positive preprocedure attitude towards single motherhood and lack of attempts to attend school in the six months after delivery were associated in bivariate analyses with decision satisfaction. Implications of these findings for adolescent pregnancy counseling are discussed.