Lesson 2: Unforeseen Consequences
With the trend towards liberal relationships and a carefree lifestyle among young people, many heartbreaking consequences have resulted. Teenage pregnancies while still in school, and the practice of seeking medical help to resolve the situation, are no longer uncommon in today's society.
According to the latest statistics from the Vietnam Family Planning Association, Vietnam has the highest rate of teenage abortions (ages 15-19) in Southeast Asia, and teenage abortion is a distressing reality in society today. Dr. Hoang Thi Thu, Head of the Adolescent Health Care Department (Nghe An Reproductive Health Care Center), said: On average, the Center receives and "processes" 3-4 cases of teenage pregnancies every day. Many times, when dealing with these girls, I feel both angry and sympathetic. Angry because they are so young yet don't know how to protect themselves, only knowing how to live "hastily," "urgently"; sympathetic because they have to endure both physical and mental pain too early. There are young girls who don't know when they're pregnant until they notice their belly getting bigger, at which point they go to the center for examination. Because the fetus is too large to "deal with," they have to become mothers at an age when they should be eating and sleeping, barely able to take care of themselves, let alone raise a child.
According to investigations, up to 80% of private obstetrics clinics in the city offer abortion services, even though this service is not listed in their business licenses. Observations show that most of the young women seeking abortions at these clinics are between 16 and 22 years old, usually high school students or university students, and most of them have experienced delayed menstruation for 1 week to 10 days. There are also cases of high school students seeking abortions when the fetus is already quite large.
Dr. Nguyen Ba Tan, Director of the Center for Reproductive Health Care in Nghe An province, said: "It's heartbreaking to still witness complications from illegitimate abortions such as uterine perforation and uterine infections. Recently, I even witnessed a scene that was both funny and sad: five young men came to the center asking to light incense for a newborn from a previous abortion. When the security guard questioned them, they innocently replied, 'We didn't know whose baby it was, so we all came in to be sure, otherwise we'd be committing a sin.' This shows how modern society has made young people too liberal and their views too open."
Recently, medical abortion, which involves administering medication to detach the uterine lining and expel the fetus naturally, has been considered a new, less painful, and less risky method of abortion. However, if the patient does not adhere to the prescribed medication schedule and follow-up appointments, incomplete abortion is highly likely, requiring a surgical procedure, which carries a higher risk of complications. For pregnancies of only 5 to 8 weeks, the vacuum aspiration method is less painful and, if performed correctly, will not affect future pregnancies.
Dr. Le Thi Hang, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department (Nghe An Center for Maternal and Child Health Care), added: “There are also young girls from rural areas who come to the center with pregnancies that are already too large, usually over 12 weeks. At that time, we often have to perform abortions by inserting medication to dilate the cervix and induce premature labor. In such cases, the patient must stay for at least one day for monitoring. The patient must be treated with antibiotics and strictly adhere to the treatment protocol; otherwise, complications such as uterine infection, fallopian tube infection may occur, and consequently, they will certainly not be able to conceive again.”
"However, complications from unwanted abortions can occur during and after the procedure if the patient is in the wrong position and is overly stressed. Even pregnancies as early as 45 to 64 days, which can be terminated medically or by suction, and later pregnancies requiring induction of labor (a procedure to induce premature labor), all have a high risk of complications," said Dr. Hang.
Reproductive and Sexual Health Counseling Session for Students
Do Luong 2 High School
Most pregnant teenagers are hesitant to go to public facilities such as the Nghe An Center for Reproductive Health Care and hospitals, and instead often seek out illegal abortion clinics run by private pregnant women in the area. These clinics lack proper techniques, and only when complications such as bleeding or infection occur do they seek treatment at the center.
Adolescents who engage in sexual activity at an early age or undergo abortions face numerous negative consequences because their reproductive organs are not yet fully developed, making them susceptible to complications such as bleeding, infection, uterine thinning, uterine perforation, and most seriously, infertility in adulthood. Besides affecting their health, abortions also impact their psychology, mental well-being, and education, hindering their ability to build a future.
(To be continued)
Thanh Nga - Vo Huyen
