Pregnant low-income teenagers: a social structural model of the determinants of abortion-seeking behavior.

Abstract

Approximately one-third of the over 2 million teenage pregnancies a year are terminated early; nearly one-third of all legal, reported abortions are performed on individuals under age 20. Many studies have collected demographic data on abortion-seeking women and girls. Attitudes to abortion have been found to be related to religion and religiosity, and to levels of income and education. Relationships have been found between abortion attitudes and the timing of abortion. The theoretical structural constraints upon the pregnant teenager are the function of rewards minus costs. If the costs of bearing and raising a child outweigh the anticipated rewards, the pregnancy is defined as unwanted; the likelihood of seeking an abortion will be increased. Analysis of the model is based upon matched samples of abortion and obstetrics patients at Jefferson Davis County Hospital, Houston, Texas. Path analysis suggests that education should be deleted as a causal variable as well as a direct link between race and the dependent variable. The strongest elements in the model are 2 social-emotional variables that, with age, are indicators in the life cycle. When a commitment to having children of one's own is acceptable by society the pregnant teen will decide in favor of delivery. Prior to reaching that point in the life cycle, teens will tend to seek abortion. The decision to abort will increase the mother's chances for education.