What to do if your daughter is pregnant

If your daughter tells you that she is pregnant, your first reactions may be shock or anger, but the most important thing to do is to stay calm. You need to listen to your daughter and let her know that you will support her whatever she decides to do. You can help her by giving her information and discussing her options, but in the end she needs to make a decision that feels right for her.

If your son's girlfriend is pregnant he too might have strong feelings about the pregnancy. Help him by listening and encourage him to talk to his girlfriend. Whatever her decision he may feel better able to support her if he's had a chance to express his views.

The young woman should see a nurse or doctor at the GP practice, family planning or young people's sexual health clinic to confirm the pregnancy. Some services such as Brook have counsellors who will be able to talk to her on her own, explore with her how she feels about her pregnancy and give her impartial information on her options. If she is considering a termination the doctor will be able to give her a referral and explain the procedure.

If she is considering continuing with her pregnancy they will be able to tell her about special services for teenage mothers, including information on local adoption agencies. The local education authority will have information about ways in which she could continue her education and will know about other sources of support for teenage parents.

Your teenager might have already chosen to speak to a health professional on their own or might choose to do so in the future. Health professionals are obliged to keep conversations confidential unless they feel that their client is at risk of abuse and that information about them needs to be shared in order to protect them. Under 16s have the same rights as everyone else to confidential advice. A young woman can be prescribed treatment and be referred for an abortion without the involvement of a parent or carer. However, when a young woman is pregnant health professionals will try to persuade and encourage her to involve her parents because most parents are a great source of support.