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Native Teen Voices: Feelings About Pregnancy
 Teen were asked how they would feel if they became pregnant (girls) or caused someone else to become pregnant (boys). The three top responses included feeling afraid, worried and confused, followed by upset and depressed. Females reported they would feel upset and depressed about becoming pregnant at nearly double the rate of males.
Most of the adolescents reported a pregnancy would get in the way of their plans for the future. None of the females felt a pregnancy would fit into their plans for the future while 8% of the males reported a pregnancy would fit into their future plans.
Females aged 16-18 were most likely to report that a pregnancy would make it hard to fit in with friends. About one-third of males and females aged 16-18 reported that a pregnancy would neither make it harder OR easier to fit in with friends.
- Feelings about becoming pregnant or getting someone pregnant
- Pregnancy and future plans
- The effect of pregnancy on a relationship with a sex partner
- Pregnancy and friendships
- Pregnancy and feelings about self
- Pregnancy and feeling like a man/woman
Feelings about becoming pregnant or getting someone pregnant
All youth (n=148) were asked to report how they would feel if they became pregnant or got someone pregnant. Respondents were asked to: “Think about how you would feel if you just found out that you are pregnant/ got someone pregnant (try to answer these questions even if you have never had sex).”
Respondents were given three answer choices: “not at all,” “a little,” and “a lot.” The following graphs reflect those respondents who chose the “a lot” answer for the given emotions/feelings.
- 13-15 year old respondents were most likely to report that they would feel afraid if they were to become or to get someone pregnant
- Females aged 16-18 were most likely to report that they would feel worried if they were to find out that they were pregnant
- Males aged 16-18 were most likely to report that they would feel confused if they were to get someone pregnant.
- No females reported that they would feel lucky if they got pregnant while 7.9% of males aged 13-15 and 10.8% of males aged 16-18 reported that that they would feel lucky if they got someone pregnant
Pregnancy and future plans
All youth (n=148) were asked, “Would a pregnancy get in the way of your plans for the future or fit into your plans for the future?”
Respondents were given a choice of five possible answers.
- Males and females in both age groups were most likely to report that a pregnancy would get in the way of future plans
- No females in either age group reported that a pregnancy would fit into future plans while 7.9% of males aged 13-15 and 8.1% of males aged 16-18 reported that a pregnancy would fit into future plans
The effect of pregnancy on a relationship with a sex partner
All youth (n=148) were asked, “Would a pregnancy bring you closer to the person you had sex with or drive you apart?”
Respondents were given a choice of five possible answers.
Pregnancy and friendships
All youth were asked, “Would a pregnancy make it harder for you to fit in with your friends or easier to fit in?”
Respondents were given a choice of five possible answers. These choices were as follows: harder to fit in with my friends, easier to fit in with my friends, neither harder or easier to fit in, both harder and easier to fit in, and I don’t know. One female did not answer this question.
- All youth were least likely to report that a pregnancy would make it easier to fit in with friends
- Males and females aged 13-15 were most likely to report that a pregnancy would make it harder to fit in with friends
- Females aged 16-18 were most likely to report that a pregnancy would make it hard to fit in with friends (51.6%) while males aged 16-18 were most likely to report that a pregnancy would make it neither easier nor harder to fit in with friends (37.8%)
Pregnancy and feelings about self
All youth (n=148) were asked, “Would a pregnancy make you feel better about yourself or worse about yourself?”
Respondents were given a choice of five possible answers. These answer choices were: feel better about myself, feel worse about myself, neither better or worse, both better and worse, and I don’t know.
Pregnancy and feeling like a man/woman
All youth (n=148) were asked, “Would a pregnancy make you feel more like a man/ woman?” Respondents were given a choice of three possible answers: yes, no, and I don’t know. However, due to a typographical error, not all surveys administered to male youth had an “I don’t know” answer choice. This would explain the low number of males who chose the “I don’t know” option. Two males did not answer this question.
 All youth were most likely to report that a pregnancy would not make them feel more like a man or woman- Males aged 13-15 were the most likely of all groups to report that a pregnancy would make them feel more mature (40.5%)
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