[Adolescents' wishes to have children]

During the period 1984-1986, an investigation concerning sexual behaviour, contraceptive methods and pregnancies was performed among Danes aged 16-20 years in Denmark. A random sample consisting of 286 women (respondent rate = 75.3) and 336 men (respondent rate = 79.6) was interviewed by the Institute of Social Research. During the same time interval, 140 women admitted for legal termination of pregnancy in the County of Funen (respondent rate = 73.6) replied to a corresponding questionnaire. Some results have been published previously (4-6). This paper present results concerning the number of children the adolescents wish to have in the future and the age at which they want to become parents. A remarkable correspondence in the replies was found. The majority, including the women admitted for termination of pregnancy, the non-pregnant women and the young men, want to have two to three children. The majority, however, would prefer to have children when they themselves were between 20 and 30 years of age. In all, 62.9% (n = 171) of the non-pregnant women and 54.5% (n = 181) of the men would choose or advise application for legal termination, in the case of pregnancy. The women admitted for termination of pregnancy were asked to give priority to ten preformulated attitudes and their importance for the choice made when applying for abortion. A total of 70.5% (n = 93) replied that the formulation "It is too early for me to have a child" was of great importance for their choice, while the financial situation, housing problems and the possibility of being a single mother had lower priorities.