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Poll reveals emotional toll of young pregnancies
By Cai Wenjun |
February 9, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
NEARLY 40 percent of girls and young women who called a local health hotline had thoughts of committing suicide if the pregnancy wasn't solve properly, according to a survey taken by the hotline and local Youth League.
The survey, covering 1,200 pregnant minors and young women who called the hotline last year, found 38.7 percent of them had thought of suicide, officials said yesterday.
"If I don't receive help, I may end my life," a 17-year-old girl surnamed Liu from a vocational school said during the survey.
She received a discounted abortion, said officials from No. 411 Hospital of People's Liberation Army, which backs the hotline.
The hotline 65876866 received 1,863 phone calls during the three-week winter holiday ending Monday, 16 percent more than last year.
Girls at local vocational schools accounted for 30 percent of the calls, officials said.
"Holidays are usually the peak period for phone calls," said Dr Zhang Zhengrong from the hospital.
"Girls and young women may try something extreme while facing situations like unexpected pregnancy, academic failure and family problems. Families, schools and the whole society should take part to protect them from committing suicide. More support should be given to them if they are pregnant, instead of blaming."
She said some girls or young women hurt themselves by means such as cigarette burns or cutting themselves with a knife to release the pressure.
The hotline usually receives about 40,000 phone calls and offers abortion surgeries for thousands of girls and young women a year.
The survey, covering 1,200 pregnant minors and young women who called the hotline last year, found 38.7 percent of them had thought of suicide, officials said yesterday.
"If I don't receive help, I may end my life," a 17-year-old girl surnamed Liu from a vocational school said during the survey.
She received a discounted abortion, said officials from No. 411 Hospital of People's Liberation Army, which backs the hotline.
The hotline 65876866 received 1,863 phone calls during the three-week winter holiday ending Monday, 16 percent more than last year.
Girls at local vocational schools accounted for 30 percent of the calls, officials said.
"Holidays are usually the peak period for phone calls," said Dr Zhang Zhengrong from the hospital.
"Girls and young women may try something extreme while facing situations like unexpected pregnancy, academic failure and family problems. Families, schools and the whole society should take part to protect them from committing suicide. More support should be given to them if they are pregnant, instead of blaming."
She said some girls or young women hurt themselves by means such as cigarette burns or cutting themselves with a knife to release the pressure.
The hotline usually receives about 40,000 phone calls and offers abortion surgeries for thousands of girls and young women a year.
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