Abortion and teenage birth: A longitudinal study of girls and young women

In the new Norwegian “Action plan to prevent unwanted pregnancy and abortions 2004-2008” (Ministry of Health 2003), it was argued that vulnerable women with limited resources are more likely than others to experience unwanted pregnancies. This included “y outh who in critical situations may act out their problems through risky sexual behaviors”, young women with “poor self esteem or mental health problems, and adolescents who use sexuality to compensate for loneliness”. Further, young women with alcohol an d drug problems were identified as a group at risk for unwanted pregnancy and abortion as well as for sexual exploitation and prostitution. However, little research was presented as evidence for these statements. The present research project will invest igate these matters, by means of a representative, longitudinal study of Norwegian women born in the early 1980s. Further we will investigate a previously documented association for abortion to social class and social marginalization. Even if few teenager s carry to term a pregnancy, we will compare teenage births with abortions, as much international research indicate that there is an even stronger association to social class and social marginalization for teenage births than for abortions.