There are many different ethical issues surrounding teen pregnancy however one has to ask, what is Ethics and what is considered Ethical? According to Freegard (2010, p. 31) ethics is defined as “…Moral philosophy and the study of what should or should not be done in order to have a peaceful society.” But to simply put it, it is based on an opinion, what an individual, and what a society believes is okay or “Ethical”.


The many Ethical issues surrounding Teen pregnancy are things such as abortion, Underage sex as well as sex before marriage, adoption and doctor patient confidentiality. Many people believe it is unethical for women to have an abortion as life starts at conception. The pope of the Catholic Church stated that “Abortion is a crime of aggression not only against the unborn but also against society.”(Wooden, C, 2005)


While pro-choice Australia have declared that they are “Interested in ensuring that a women’s reproductive rights and access to reproductive health services are protected and enhanced in Australia” (Reproductive Choice Australia 2010) Pro-life Australia, along with the Pope of the Catholic Church, “Will strongly campaign against IVF, euthanasia, and embryo stem cell research.” Right to Life Australia. (2010).





Underage sex is something that is heavily frowned upon by society and is something that is deemed as wrong. The age of 16 in majority of Australia is seen as the legal age for consensual sex as well as the age to fully comprehend actions and consequences. Being that Emily is under this age society would view it as unethical for her to have had sex and fallen pregnant.



Sex exclusive only to marriage however is something that usually only people who follow religion or have faith in a religion follow. Society has deemed it as ethical and okay to have sex before marriage. Adoption is another ethical issue that is seen as just and right in majority of society’s eyes, and if, somebody was to give up a child for adoption society would view this as okay and possibly the best choice for a teenage mother.


The doctor who examines the pregnant teenager has a legal obligation to privacy of the patient however they also have an obligation to the parents of the teenager. So, what begs the question, does a doctor protect the pregnant teenager or tell the parents?

Ethics is a fine line to walk; there is no definant answer as to what is okay and good and what is bad. Ethics is based on a personal opinion that is grouped together as a majority that make up the society’s view. These are just some of the ethical issues surrounding teenage pregnancy however I’m sure there are many more.

Our fourth group member Belinda has left this class on late notice as of last week so the following will be a short summary of her question: “The impact teen pregnancy has on the life of the person, family, and friends”

Teen pregnancy has a huge impact on everyone involved but none more then the family itself. It places immense emotional and mental strain on the family as they come to terms with the idea that a new family member could be about to join them. Emily or the pregnant teenager would have to endure similar emotional and mental stress as to whether or not she should tell the father, and whether or not she should keep the child.

The friends could choose not to associate with the pregnant teenager anymore for fear of the things that could be said. However the friends may also be the ones doing the name calling and slandering. All in all, teenage pregnancy effects everyone involved in the situation directly or indirectly.