There are many pros and cons to think about. Here’s our list of things to take into consideration.

Possible pros

Adoption is an option for people who feel unready or unable to raise a child at this time but can’t get an abortion or don’t want to have one.

Some birth parents that choose adoption do so because they feel adoption provides their child with a loving, stable home and parent(s) who have the financial resources to support a child.

There is also the possibility of kinship adoption where a family member, like a sibling, parent or grandparent, actually adopts and raises the child. That way, the child remains in the extended family, so there’s an increased chance that you can have a lot of contact and a relationship with your child.

Possible cons

Choosing adoption means being pregnant for nine months and then giving custody of your child to someone else. It takes a lot of courage to make this decision.

In the case of closed adoption, some adopted children wish to meet their birth parents, and vice versa. Some find each other after long searches and develop meaningful relationships; others find the person and, for a variety of reasons, never establish a relationship. Still others never find their parent or child. For some parents or children, that can be upsetting or challenging to imagine or deal with.

PregnancyOptions.info can help you come up with more pros and cons for yourself.

Get more information on adoption, and be sure to check out more FAQs and teen-written stories.