Pregnant teens shy away from clinic
( 2003-08-05 14:18) (China Daily)
An abortion clinic serving pregnant teenagers has received many phone calls
but few visitors in its first two weeks of operation, reports Xinhua.
Since the hotline was established on July 16, the clinic has received more
than 1,400 phone calls from teenaged girls asking for help.
But as the clinic requires that the girls be accompanied by a guardian, only
three have undergone abortions so far.
"Many girls just hang up the phone when they learn that they cannot get an
abortion without being accompanied by an adult guardian," said Zheng Zhongwei,
head of the clinic.
Most girls, fearful of their parents finding out, end up
going to underground clinics or trying "medicinal remedies" to induce
spontaneous abortion themselves, Zheng said.
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