If you are a young person thinking about having sex, you need to understand your rights and the law, as well as the physical and emotional consequences.
Talk to an older person you trust, such as a family member. If you do not feel comfortable with this, you can talk to your doctor or visit the Sexual Health Victoria website for more information or make a clinic appointment.
Young people and contraception
If you are under 18 you may be able to get contraception, like the pill, from a doctor.
This depends on whether the doctor thinks you’re mature enough to understand what you’re doing and that you can use the contraception properly. Make sure you know your doctor’s rules about confidentiality. You can get a second opinion if a doctor doesn't help you with contraception.
You can buy condoms at any age – there are no restrictions. Most chemists, supermarkets and service stations sell them.
Pregnancy
It’s important to know that you have options if you have an unplanned pregnancy. A counsellor, nurse or doctor can help you think through your choices. These can include:
- going ahead with the pregnancy and keeping the baby
- going ahead with the pregnancy and adopting out the baby
- having an abortion.
Medical and health professionals should not judge your situation. Your decisions should be private. If you are not happy with the medical or health professional you’re talking to, you can get a second opinion or make a complaint.
Parenting
Am I old enough to keep my baby?
There is no minimum age for keeping your baby. What matters is your ability to support yourself and the baby, and to make sure the baby is safe.
The Maternal and Child Health Service (MCH) is run by the Department of Health in Victoria. It provides support for those with children aged from birth to school.
If you are under 17 and someone’s worried about your welfare or your baby’s, that person may call Child Protection at the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Consumer information about the service is available on the Better Health Channel website, and you can contact a MCH nurse on the 24-hour Maternal and Child Health phoneline on 13 22 29, 7 days a week.
Your responsibility as the other parent
If you parent a child, you are legally responsible for financially supporting the child. It doesn’t matter how young you are. If you can’t support the child because you’re still at school and don’t earn any money, you may have to pay later when you can afford to.
You can find out more by visiting our pages: Proving who the other parent is and Child support.
Abortion
In Victoria, abortion is a safe and legal medical procedure that ends a pregnancy.
There is no age limit on getting an abortion. If you are under 18 you may be able to get an abortion without a parent or guardian agreeing if the doctor thinks:
- it is your decision
- you understand what that decision means.
If you’re thinking about having an abortion, get advice from a doctor or Sexual Health Victoria early in your pregnancy. For more information about abortion visit the Sexual Health Victoria website.
When can it be performed?
Most abortions are performed in the first 14 weeks of a pregnancy.
You can still have an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy but it can be harder to access. Abortion is legal in Victoria after 24 weeks in some circumstances.
If you need to talk to somebody about your options you can contact Sexual Health Victoria or Women’s Information Referral Exchange.
Explore our related pages
Updated