A Junior College (JC) student has appealed for advice online after getting a “casual partner” pregnant ahead of their A-Level examinations.
Asking netizens for advice, redditor u/hammercock987 revealed that both he and his partner are 18 and that the girl has been showing symptoms of pregnancy after missing her period.
Unsure whether the symptoms are really signs of pregnancy or a result of exam stress, the girl took a pregnancy kit 3 weeks ago that came back negative. A second pregnancy kit administered last Thursday, however, tested positive for pregnancy.
The redditor asked: “What are my options here? We have not discussed what to do if she’s pregnant yet because we want to finish our exams first. I end on Friday and she ends a week later because she’s taking a H3 so any action will have to be taken afterwards.”
Revealing that he has “a few thousand in savings”, the redditor asked if this is enough if they choose to go ahead with an abortion and whether they need their parents’ permission.
In the comments section of his post, the redditor further revealed that he is due to enlist in National Service in January next year and that he makes his own money even though he is still a teenager. He added that both he and the girl are only children and that their parents frequently travel overseas for work, leaving them alone in Singapore.
While the redditor says that his parents are not religious and are more liberal than the girl’s Christian parents, he said, “They’ll still definitely kill me first though,” if he reveals what had happened to them.
Several netizens responding to the post urged the redditor to be sensitive to his friend and shared light on how to go about getting an abortion if that is what they decide on, offering links to websites with information on teenage pregnancy.
Many also praised the student for taking responsibility in the matter and choosing to stay instead of running away. The redditor responded that he would have felt guilty if he bailed on his friend and shared that he has even opened up his home to her, so that she doesn’t feel alone while her parents are away.
In Singapore, abortion procedures can only be carried out on women who are carrying fetuses less than 24 weeks old. While such procedures, that typically cost between $300 to $3,500, do not require parental consent, patients are required to undergo mandatory counselling 48 hours prior to the procedure.
Meanwhile, the redditor added that he is prepared to respect his partner’s decision if she decides to keep the child.
Support groups like Babes are available to help pregnant teenagers with resources should they choose to abort or keep the baby, with services like postnatal nanny assistance among others.