The Teenage Crisis Pregnancy Situation in Hong Kong
香港青少年意外懷孕的情況
Teenage crisis pregnancy and teenage motherhood are a global concern, where they are largely unplanned and unintended, especially during early adolescence (<15 years). Early pregnancies have major health consequences for young mothers and their babies as well as negative social and economic effects on girls, their families and their communities.
Today, there are at least 5,400 crisis pregnancies each year in Hong Kong. Emerging data indicates that this is not another youth behavioral problem but that these young mothers are living in a cross-generational cycle of trauma, abuse, neglect, and poverty. These problems compound when these untreated traumas re-enact in a young girl’s life, trapping her in a vicious cycle of unhealthy choices and relationships. Without coordinated support to help these girls break out of the trauma cycle, they continue to face stigma and rejection by parents and peers and marked social disadvantage, such as poverty, unemployment, low educational level, and single parenting. Teenage crisis pregnancy is the tip of invisible social and family problems, yet the significance and complexity of this issue is rarely discussed or studied in Hong Kong.
少女經歷意外懷孕是一個全球性的問題，當中以早期青少年（15歲以下）為主，因為她們大多在沒有計劃下和處於孤立無援狀態中經歷意外懷孕。意外懷孕對少女及其嬰兒的健康產生重大影響，並對少女、她們的家庭和社區產生負面的社會和經濟影響。
香港每年至少出現5,400宗青少年意外懷孕。最新研究數據指出意外懷孕並不是另一種青年行為問題，而是許多年輕少女生活在一個跨代惡性循環中，經歷身心的創傷、作出不健康的選擇及維持著不良的關係。如果沒有協調一致的服務和支持來幫助這些少女擺脫這種惡性循環，她們將繼續面對父母和朋輩的批判和排斥，並處於社會的劣勢，包括失業、低教育水平和單親家庭。青少年意外懷孕潛藏在社會和家庭問題中，但議題的重要性和複雜性鮮有在香港被討論或研究。
About Mother’s Choice
Mother’s Choice was started in 1987 to address the growing number of girls forced to have unsafe abortions, crossing the border into Shenzhen in their third trimester, because they felt they had no other choice. The name "Mother's Choice" came about because the founders wanted young girls to learn about their options and to make an informed choice be it abortion, parenting or adoption. Whatever their decision, Mother's Choice believes that it is important that no girl should feel forced into their decision nor have to face their crisis alone. Three decades later, Mother's Choice has served more than 54,500 young girls and their families in Hong Kong.
關於「母親的抉擇」
「母親的抉擇」於1987年成立，當時主要協助面對意外懷孕的少女，誤以為沒有選擇而被迫於第三孕期時跨境到深圳以不安全的方法終止懷孕的情況。「母親的抉擇」寓意希望不論是終止懷孕、養育孩子或是為孩子選擇領養，少女都能在知悉所有可能性作出抉擇；「母親的抉擇」相信少女不應在被逼的情況下作出任何決定，面對難關時亦必需得到支援及陪伴。時至今日，「母親的抉擇」已為香港超過54,500名少女及其家庭提供支援。
「母親的抉擇」是一間本地慈善機構，服務香港眾多沒有家庭的孩子和意外懷孕少女。我們與社會攜手合作，為弱勢少女和孩子燃點希望、改寫生命。我們的遠景是每個孩子都擁有一個關愛的家。