When people think of unplanned pregnancies they automatically think of the young, possible teenager after teenager discovering they are pregnant. Unplanned pregnancies are an increasing issues for older women though, with the number of pregnancies amongst the over forties rising.
According to the Family Planning Association (FPA) many women in the mid-thirties and over are not using contraception because they believe they won’t become pregnant due to their age. This is part of the reason why more people in this age bracket are people pregnant unexpectedly.
The common belief is that it is less safe for women over forty to give birth, both for the Mother and Child, and therefore less people at this age plan to become pregnant. Women gradually lose their fertility from their late-thirties, but at this age pregnancy is still a very real possibility. Some have become pregnant in their fifties, with even a few examples of pregnant women who are into their sixties. The highest fertility rate is for women aged between thirty and thirty-four but later pregnancy is not rare. According to the report from the Family Planning Association some women seem to be taking the highest age of fertility a little too literally and ignoring the possibility of pregnancy beyond this period.
With increasing pregnancy rates amongst the over forties comes increasing Abortion rates. Surprisingly the abortion rate is now the same for those aged between forty and forty-five as those under the age of sixteen. This goes against all common belief that it is much higher for the under sixteen’s. The abortion rate amongst both these age groups currently stands at around 50% of pregnant women.
There are a number of reasons why people choose abortion. One of the reasons that are more likely to effect the over forties is birth abnormalities. These are significantly more likely for children of older Mother’s and many when discovering there are signs of birth abnormalities choose to terminate their pregnancy. The correct timing of having a child is also important. There is an obvious reason why young people may think they at the wrong stage of their life to have a child; they may not have began their career or established themselves yet, and they might think of themselves as too immature to bring up children. But timing can be just as much of as issue for those over forty. They may already have a family and might not want to bring up children into their fifties.
Going by the report by the FPA it might not just be young people who need sex education. It is possible that unwanted pregnancies will eventually be higher amongst middle aged women than younger women. Pregnancies among teenagers are falling slightly, while pregnancies among those in their forties and above is rising.
Anne Heywood (c)
Author: Anne Heywood
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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