Working with women who are unprepared for pregnancy, workers face many traps. The first is the attitude towards abortion. If there is an attitude that abortion is a sin, they will not provide information to women or sometimes suggest that it should not be done, which is an exercise of power without respecting women’s rights. Especially for young girls, they are not allowed to understand their own rights, the existence of rights, and women’s needs are not recognized.
The next trap is the emotional state in a crisis. Information is not important when women are still feeling confused, stressed, and anxious about their situation. Workers or those around them must have the skills to work with emotional states first in the counseling process to help them understand themselves clearly and make decisions based on understanding. And once they have made a decision, regardless of the choice, their decision must be respected. Counseling that focuses on working with emotional states is therefore important at every stage of assistance.
It is necessary to push for them to access the rights they should have, whether it is the right to abortion if they decide to do so. But if they continue the pregnancy, it must be ensured that they continue the pregnancy with quality. Work must be done both with the pregnant woman and with the community where the woman will return to live. Explore support systems and welfare that can be provided during pregnancy until after childbirth to ensure the child grows up with quality.
Source: Khun Supaapa Ongsakul, Subcommittee on Independent Prevention and Resolution of Teenage Pregnancy
Experience in assisting and providing necessary services for teenagers and women who are unprepared for pregnancy. Conference on “Developing Guidelines for Assistance, Service Provision, and Protection of Rights for Teenagers and Women Unprepared for Pregnancy” by the Project for Developing a Network of Safe and Friendly Alternative Services for Teenagers and Women Unprepared for Pregnancy.