Study Objective

To understand the perspectives of people who placed children for adoption during adolescence

Design

We conducted qualitative interviews with adults who placed children for adoption during adolescence. We recruited participants through social media and two adoption-related organizations. We audio-recorded and transcribed interviews. Using thematic analysis, 2 investigators coded the transcripts and identified themes.

Setting

Telephone interviews

Participants

Adults ages 18-35 years old who placed children for adoption before they were 20 years old

Interventions

Semi-structured telephone interviews

Main Outcome Measures

Qualitative data

Results

We conducted interviews with 18 individuals (median age of 32 years; range 21-35 years). The median age at pregnancy was 18 years (range 13-19 years). Seventeen participants identified as female and one as nonbinary. Themes included the following: (1) Negative experiences with counseling included limited empowerment to make choices about pregnancy or adoption options; (2) negative experiences with counseling included limited information about practical or financial support for pregnant adolescents; (3) negative experiences with the health care system included insensitivity or lack of awareness of the adoption plan at delivery; (4) positive experiences with counseling included comprehensive unbiased options counseling and adoption counseling emphasizing birth parent choice in openness and family placement; (5) positive experiences included longitudinal emotional support during pregnancy, particularly in ways that normalized adoption placement; and (6) participants desired therapy and/or psychological support following adoption placement.

Conclusions

Individuals who chose adoption after adolescent pregnancy described positive and negative encounters with health care and adoption professionals that could serve as targets to improve the overall care experience for this population.

中文翻译：

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青春期儿童收养者的医疗保健和收养服务经历：一项定性研究

 学习目的

了解将青春期儿童收养的人们的观点

 设计

我们对在青春期收养儿童的成年人进行了定性访谈。我们通过社交媒体和两个与收养相关的组织招募了参与者。我们对采访进行了录音和转录。两名研究人员利用主题分析对文字记录进行编码并确定主题。

 环境

 电话采访

 参加者

18-35岁的成年人在20岁之前将孩子送人收养

 干预措施

半结构化电话访谈

 主要观察指标

 定性数据

 结果

我们对 18 人（平均年龄 32 岁；范围 21-35 岁）进行了访谈。怀孕的中位年龄为 18 岁（范围 13-19 岁）。十七名参与者被确定为女性，一名为非二元性别。主题包括以下内容：(1) 咨询方面的负面经历包括在选择怀孕或收养方案方面的权力有限； (2) 咨询方面的负面经历包括有关为怀孕青少年提供实际或经济支持的信息有限； (3) 医疗保健系统的负面经历包括对分娩时的收养计划不敏感或缺乏认识； (4) 积极的咨询经验包括全面、公正的选择咨询和强调亲生父母选择的开放性和家庭安置的收养咨询； (5) 积极的经历包括怀孕期间的纵向情感支持，特别是使收养安置正常化的方式； (6) 参与者在收养安置后需要治疗和/或心理支持。

 结论

青少年怀孕后选择收养的个人描述了与医疗保健和收养专业人员的积极和消极的接触，这些接触可以作为改善该人群整体护理体验的目标。