be able to know the information that she is seeking or has had an abortion. In other words, a teenager can keep her abortion a secret by either not telling anyone about it or by telling certain trustworthy people.LENGTH OF GESTATIONThe length of gestation at which abortion is performed is a critical factor in evaluating the medical and psychological context of abortion. Younger women obtained abortions later in pregnancy than older women. The younger the teenager, the more likely the delay. For the 32 states reporting to the CDC in 1980, women under 19 years of age accounted for 29% of all abortions but accounted for more than 40% of abortions performed at more than 16 weeks of gestation. Of abortions obtained by adolescents aged 15 or less, 34% were performed at eight weeks or earlier in gestation, compared with 41% among 15-19 year olds and 51% among women aged 20-24. (Melton 1986:56)NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Parental notification requirements, or the belief that such requirements exist even when clinics do not have such a policy, may also contribute to delay in seeking abortion. More than 4 in 10 facilities have parental notification requirements for girls aged 15 or younger, and 3 in 10 require parental consent or notification for 17-year olds. COSTLength of gestation affects cost and access to clinic service providers as well. In 1981 the average clinic charge for a first-trimester abortion was $190.00. The cost for a second-trimester dilation and evacuation averaged $358.00. Since only 21% of clinics provide second-trimester services, teenagers who delay seeking abortion must have them in the more expensive hospital setting, where the average cost of a second trimester is $740.00.Cost continues to be an issue for teenagers. 9 in 10 teenagers aged 17 years or younger rely on their partners, parents, or Medicaid to defray the cost of abortion. In 1979, for teens 15 years or younger, 2 out of 5 had abortions paid for...
