In Spain, 10,700 adolescents became pregnant in 2007, double that of 10 years ago, according to data published by the Ministry of Health. The majority voluntarily interrupted the pregnancy. But some 4,400 children decided to have their babies. No doubt a decision that would change their lives. A decision they had to take unexpectedly, because pregnancies were mostly unwanted.
Some go through rejection, most leave their studies, couples disappear, some have to leave their home and even their town or city, almost all continue to live with parents, some in residences for mothers without resources, are single mothers ...
But if there is something in which they agree, they are all afraid, and the reaction of the family, of the parents who still see them as girls, is fundamental for them and causes the communication of pregnancy to be delayed many times. A thousand different stories, with one point in common: they had their children in a decision, in my opinion, a mixture of courage and unconsciousness.
Social workers try to help these mothers from the moment they accept to be mothers, when the rest of their future prospects are truncated and their role as teenagers is going to overlap with that of mother. When many lose their friends, their families. When a new being is about to arrive in their lives that needs them, at the moment when they most want to be independent. Support and information is essential, and they need preparation. Once the baby is born, it would be too late to start the help.
This week, when the debate on the new abortion law is still going on, in "The weekly country" We have an interesting report that interviews different teenage mothers. Collect experiences and testimonies as different as that of current teenage mothers, some with two children, or the creator of the Isadora Duncan Foundation, who was a single mother in more difficult times, during the Franco dictatorship.
In the end, what all these women have in common is that they decided to be teenage mothers, even though it was not the easiest way.
