PREGNANCY
 Teen pregnancy is something a lot of teens and adults wonder and sometimes worry about. Most people want to become parents at some time in their lives. But they want a baby when they are ready and can make plans. Becoming a parent is a really important decision. Many people feel they'll make better parents when they have accomplished some of their life's goals. We hope this information will help you understand what it means to be a pregnant and parenting teen.
Hennepin County and Minnesota Statistics on Pregnancy
How to Know if You are Pregnant
Pregnancy Decision-Making and Options Counseling
Adoption
Abortion
Parenting
Prenatal Care
Hennepin County, Minnesota Statistics on Pregnancy
Information on pregnancy in Hennepin County (Minneapolis, Minnesota and suburbs):
In 1999, there were 725 pregnancies among teen girls between the ages of 15 and 17 in Hennepin County. Of these pregnancies, there were 472 births among teen girls 15 to 17. Two hundred and forty seven pregnancies ended in abortion and there were three fetal deaths (miscarriages after 20 weeks of pregnancy). The pregnancy rate for Hennepin County is 36.4 per 1,000 teen girls between the ages of 15-17. The birth rate for teen women 15 to 17 is 23.8 per 1,000 teen girls 15 to 17. In general teen pregnancy rates and teen birth rates have gone down since 1990 in this county. (Hennepin County Community Health Department, 1999)
How To Know if You Are Pregnant?
Signs of Pregnancy
An abnormal period (missing a period, period that is shorter or lighter than usual, or getting a period early or late),
Breast tenderness,
Nausea (any time of day),
Being unusually tired or fatigue,
Headaches, or
Frequent urination.
If you have symptoms or if you have had sex and didn't use birth control, get tested for pregnancy
For confidential pregnancy tests in Minneapolis and western suburbs contact:
In Minneapolis and West Metro area
The Annex Teen Clinic 763-533-1316
West Suburban Teen Clinic 952-474-3251
Teen Age Medical Clinic 612-813-6125
In St. Paul and east metro area
Face To Face Counseling and Clinic 651-772-5555
Health Star 651-312-1995
Family Tree Clinic 651-645-0478
In the Greater Minnesota region contact the Family Planning and STD Hotline at 1-800-78-FACTS (1-800-783-2287)
OR any doctor or medical clinic can tell you if you are pregnant. Check for confidential clinics near you.
HOME PREGNANCY TESTS - They are very reliable when used at least 10 days after having unprotected sex. You must follow the directions carefully for results you can trust.
If the pregnancy test is negative and this is good news - then what should you do?.
TAKE ACTION!
Prevent pregnancy There are three ways to do this:
- Do not have sex - Abstain
- Use a barrier method of birth control
- Male condoms
- Female condoms
- Diaphragm
- Use a prescription hormonal method of birth control
- Birth control pills
- The Patch
- The Shot
- Nuva Ring
- Implants
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If pregnancy test is positive - then what?
TAKE ACTION:
If the positive pregnancy test is good news - a planned and welcomed baby is on the way. It is time to take especially good care of yourself so you can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Visit your doctor.
Care for your growing embryo by eating and sleeping well
Get enough folic acid and other prenatal vitamins. .
Abstain from tobacco, alcohol and other chemicals
If the pregnancy test is positive and it is NOT good news - this pregnancy is not planned nor welcomed.
TAKE ACTION - You need information to make and informed decision. Not taking action is one way to make a decision. But it usually makes things more difficult in the end.
Pregnancy Decision-Making and Options Counseling
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you have three legal options:
- Have a baby and become a parent
- Have a baby and place the baby for adoption,
- End the pregnancy by having a legal abortion.
The choice is YOURS.
These are big decisions. It is important to understand all the options and what you want for the future.
You will may help understanding and choosing what is best for you.
You can:
Talk with a trusted adult such as a parent, guardian , school counselor, physician or pastor.
For a young person, (age 12-24) in the Twin Cities area, contact your nearest confidential, teen clinic or helping resource..
| All Options Clergy Counseling statewide, call Mon.-Fri., 10-4 for phone counseling. This is a group of clergy of all faiths who can talk about all options a pregnant woman has. The receptionist will find the appropriate clergy person to call the woman back (or make arrangements for her to call). | Twin Cities 612-870-0974 Elsewhere in MN, IA, WI, ND or SD 1-800-925-8242 |
| Annex Teen Clinic in Robbinsdale, call for an appointment | 763-533-1316 |
| Family Tree Clinic in St. Paul (Midway), for young adults. Call for an appointment | 651-645-0478 |
| Neighborhood Health Care Network for questions and referrals to your nearest low-cost community clinic in the Twin Cities area. Phone answered by a nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | 651-489-CARE |
| Pilot City Health Center in North Minneapolis, call for an appointment with the Education Department | 612-302-4797 |
| Planned Parenthood in Brooklyn Park, Burnsville and Uptown Minneapolis, call for an appointment Brooklyn Park | 612-560-3050 Burnsville 612-890-0940 Uptown 612-823-6300 |
| Teen Age Medical Services in South Minneapolis, call with questions and for an appointment | 612-813-6125 |
| West Suburban Teen Clinic in Excelsior, call with questions and for an appointment | 953-474-3251 |
| Face To Face Counseling and Clinic on the east side of St. Paul. Call with questions and for an appointment | 651-772-5555 |
| Health Start (located in many St. Paul public High Schools) Call to find out the best location and way to make an appointment. | 651-312-1995 |
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Adoption:
Many young people choose adoption for their baby. A doctor, nurse, counselor or adoption agency can help you decide about adoption. You can also make decisions for your baby about what kind of family you want for your baby and how much or what kind of contact with the baby and its adopted family you want after the adoption.
The agencies listed below can give you information on adoption and help with your decisions:
| Children's Home Society www.chsm.com | 612-646-6393 |
| Independent Adoption Center www.adoptionhelp.org general information for birth parents | 1-800-877-6736 |
| Independent Adoption Resource and Wellspring | 612-333-0593 or 1-800-444-3443 |
| Lutheran Social Services | 612-871-0221 |
| Seton Services/Catholic Charities | 612-641-1180 |
Abortion:
Abortion is a safe and legal choice. The earlier in a pregnancy that a woman has an abortion, the safer it is. There are laws about notifying parents if a woman is under 18 years. It is a good idea to involve parents. BUT if you can not or choose not to involve your parents there is a simple court procedure to go through to obtain a confidential abortion. The clinics listed below will help you with that court procedure and will answer any questions to help you decide which is the best option for you.
| Meadowbrook Women's Clinic in downtown Minneapolis www.gynpages.com/meadowbrook | 612-376-7708 |
| Midwest Health Center for Women in downtown Minneapolis www.gynpages.com/midwest/index.html | 612-332-2311 |
| Mildred Hanson, M.D. in South Minneapolis www.gynpages.com/hanson | 612-870-1334 |
| Minnesota NARAL | www.mnnaral.org |
| National Abortion Federation | www.prochoice.org |
| Planned Parenthood of Minnesota in St. Paul www.ppmsd.org | 651-698-2401 |
| Pro-Choice Resources to apply for a loan with no interest to pay for your abortion. This number will connect you to an answering machine recording with information about when to call to talk directly with a staff member. Call back during those hours, and keep calling until you get through. www.birdsandbees.org | 612-825-8270 |
| Robbinsdale Clinic in Robbinsdale | 612-533-2534 |
| St. Paul Ramsey Hospital in St. Paul | 651-221-3200 |
Parenting: Considering parenting? You need to gather lots of information before making this decision.
Who will help you now and after the baby is born?
How will a baby affect the dreams and hopes you have for yourself?
The resources below can help a teen consider her options.
| Annex Teen Clinic in Robbinsdale MN, prenatal case management and childbirth education classes for young, pregnant women | 763-533-1316 |
| Face to Face Counseling and Clinic | |
| Health Start | |
| Teen Age Medical Services in south Minneapolis | 612-813-6125 |
| West Suburban Teen Clinic in Excelsior MN for help making you decision. Case management for those choosing adoption or parenting. Counseling before and after the abortion. | 952-474-3251 |
| Deciding to parent? You can find help from: |
| Early Childhood Family Education in locations listed by school district. Check out the ECFE page on the site of the Department of Early Childhood Family Initiatives. cfl.state.mn.us/ecfi | 612-627-2927 612-506-1548 612-368-0154 612-520-4116 612-560-7730 612-928-6765 |
| Eastside Neighborhood Services in Northeast Minneapolis. Individual parenting, advocacy, outreach, legal and budgeting advice; also support groups for young mothers and fathers | 612-781-6011 |
| Employment Action Center, Young Dads Program in North Minneapolis, GED instruction, job placement, parenting group and paternity information for young dads | 612-871-6002 |
| Father's Resource Center offers support and information for fathers Brooklyn CenterHopkins | 612-560-8656 612-988-5357 |
| MELD for young moms and dads call for locations, support and education groups | 612-332-7563 |
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Prenatal Care
One in three teenagers who decide to continue the pregnancy do not get medical attention during the pregnancy. It just as important for you and the baby to have care before birth as after. Before birth, health care is called prenatal care. Lack of prenatal care often leads to health problems for the baby - health problems that could be easily prevented. The clinics below can see teens for low-cost prenatal care. They can also help you get the health care insurance you will need. If you already have medical insurance, you can call your insurance company to find out where you can go and if they will help you pay for prenatal care.
| Birth Partners in South Minneapolis | 612-672-4600 |
| Cedar Riverside People's Center in South Minneapolis | 612-332-4973 |
| Community-University Health Care Center in South Minneapolis | 612-627-4774 |
| Fremont Community Clinic in North Minneapolis | 612-588-9411 |
| Glenwood-Lyndale Community Clinic in North Minneapolis | 612-374-8500 |
| Green Central Community Clinic in South Minneapolis | 612-827-7181 |
| Hennepin County Medical Center OB/GYN in downtown Minneapolis | 612-347-2530 |
| Indian Health Board in South Minneapolis | 612-721-9800 |
| Neighborhood Health Care Network will help you find a low cost clinic help you get medical insurance and answer your question 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | 651-489-CARE |
| North Memorial Medical Center: Family Practice Clinic in Robbinsdale | 612-521-4721 |
| Pilot City Health Center in North Minneapolis | 612-520-8877 |
| Sheridan Women and Children's Clinic in Northeast Minneapolis | 612-362-4111 |
| Southside Community Clinic in South Minneapolis | 612-822-3186 |
| Uptown Community Clinic in South Minneapolis | 612-374-4089 |
| In Carver and Scott Counties, call the medical assistance office for help with low-cost prenatal care | Carver Co. 612-442-4493 Scott Co. 612-445-7751 |
RESOURCES
To Find Out More About Pregnancy rates and risks in Minnesota:
Hennepin County Community Health Department
The Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting . Information and statistics on teen pregnancy, prevention efforts, and on sexual activity in Minnesota. www.moappp.org
Campaign For Our Children, an organization in Maryland working to reduce teen pregnancy. They have information on teen pregnancy and a clock estimating how many teen women in the U.S. have gotten pregnant this year already. www.cfoc.org
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Their web site has information on teen pregnancy and effective national prevention efforts. www.teenpregnancy.org
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, a non - profit corporation for reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education. Their site has up-to-date information on teen pregnancy and sexual activity in the "Youth" section. www.agi-usa.org
Child Trends, Inc., a nonprofit research organization that studies children, youth and families. They have national statistics on teen pregnancy, including teen birth and abortion data from the past 25+ years. www.childtrends.org
Information on Parenting:
March of Dimes' web site for more information. Look under "Having a Healthy Baby" in their Health Library. www.modimes.org
Information on options and decisions
Planned Parenthood "What if I'm Pregnant?" discusses options for pregnant teens and adults. www.plannedparenthood.org
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