Nearly half of all American women experience an unexpected pregnancy at some point due to inconsistent or incorrect birth control use, with home pregnancy tests and blood tests able to detect pregnancy and emergency contraception options exist within 5 days of intercourse; if pregnancy is confirmed, women must decide between abortion, adoption, foster care or parenting amidst misconceptions and with support in their decision making.

1. Unexpected Pregnancy
CHAPTER 12
STEPHANIE GAGNON

2. Unexpected Pregnancy
 Almost half of all US women become pregnant
without planning to at some point in their lives
 Most unexpected pregnancies occur when a couple is
not using birth control, or using it inconsistently or
incorrectly.
 Some birth control methods do
fail, however, regardless of how or when you take
them.

3. Pregnancy Tests
 There are two kinds of tests you can take to see if you
are pregnant or not…
 Home pregnancy tests – They test for human chorionic
gonadotropin (hCG) which is a pregnancy hormone found in
urine
 Very accurate and can be taken around the time of your missed
period
 If a test is negative and it is less than one week past the time you
should’ve had your period, you should take a test again in several
days
 Can purchase them over the counter at most drug or grocery stores
for $5-$15

4. Pregnancy Tests cont.
 The second type of pregnancy test can be performed
at a doctors office or health clinic
 A blood test can identify if there is hCG in your blood
 It can tell if you are pregnant about a week before you would
expect your period.

5. Signs of Pregnancy
 Early signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman, as
well as from pregnancy to pregnancy…
 Some common signs are:
 Missed, lighter, or shorter period
 Breast tenderness or enlargement
 Nipple sensitivity
 Frequent urination
 Feeling tired
 Nausea/vomiting
 Feeling bloated and cramps
 Increased or decreased appetite
 Feeling emotional

6. Emergency Contraception
 Type of contraception (Plan B or others like it) that
can be used up to five days after unprotected
intercourse or birth control failure.
 Using EC dramatically decreases chances of
becoming pregnant

7. The Facts
 More than 3 million unintended pregnancies occur
every year in the US
 ¾ of teen pregnancies in the US are unintended
 ½ of unintended pregnancies occur among the 11%
of women not using birth control
 Majority of unintended pregnancies among women
who do use birth control result from inconsistent or
incorrect use

8. Good Information
 You can use the planned parenthood website to find
a family planning clinic near you to confirm
pregnancy and find out more about your options
 National Abortion Federation provides unbiased
information for all options to help women make
choices that are right for them
 Avoid places like “crisis pregnancy centers”. They
draw women in by offering free pregnancy tests and
are often run by people against abortion and give out
biased information.

9. Prevent Another Scare
 Find a birth control method that is right for you
 New methods of birth control are being introduced all the
time, as well as old methods being modified…
 Something that may not have worked or may have not been the
right option in the past could be the one for you now…
 Keep emergency contraception on hand for backup

10. Many Decisions
 After becoming pregnant you must decide what to
do…
 Abortion versus carrying to full term
 Raising a baby or choosing open or closed adoptions, or foster
care
 It can be an emotional process (especially due to
hormonal changes)
 Make sure you have support from family and friends to help
you weigh out your options
 However, decisions should be made in a timely
manner because you only have so much time for
certain options.

11. Don’t Realize You’re Pregnant?
 It’s not unusual for a woman to be 2 months
pregnant before she even realizes it
 Signs of pregnancy can be confused with things like
digestive problems, stress, or the flu
 Some women just don’t want to accept the signs
because they don’t want to make the necessary
decisions; but the longer you wait the less options
you have…
 It is important to seek medical care as soon as
possible to ensure the safety of you and your unborn
child

12. Myths…
 A child will not automatically improve your relationship with
your partner
 Abortion is not more painful than labor
 Abortion is not more expensive than having a child
 Using drugs in the beginning of the pregnancy does hurt a
fetus
 Adoption does not necessarily cut you off completely from
your child
 Men can nurture and love a child the way a woman can
 There is financial help for all options
 There are no perfect mothers
 Good mother skills are learned through hard work, trial and
error, education, and observing experienced mothers

13. Discussing Options
 Abortion
 Safe and legal in the US
 Best time to do so is within the first three months
 Carrying to term
 Important to find a doctor that you are comfortable with
 Single parenting is becoming more and more common, so
be prepared for anything
 Foster Care: temporary situation usually with a family
member for a certain period of time
 Adoptions can be open or closed and could limit contact
with your child

14. Quote that stood out!
 Is it possible to become pregnant without having
intercourse?
 YES IT IS!
 “Pregnancy is possible if sperm is on a hand that is then put into
your vagina; if sperm lands in your vulva, right near the entrance
of your vagina; or if clothing or material that is completely
saturated with semen is in direct contact with your vagina.
However because sperm ejaculated outside of the body survive
only minutes to a few hours, getting pregnant without intercourse
is unlikely”

15. Question for Discussion
 Becoming pregnant unintentionally leads to making
several important decisions…
 Do you think that those decisions should be solely in the hands
of the pregnant woman, or do you think that outside forces
(such as the government) should be able to step in and say
whether or not certain decisions are allowed? (considering
abortion, adoption, foster care, etc.)