DR. WALLACE: Some time back you printed information given to you by a woman who was working at a birth control center. I never thought our family members would ever need this type of information, but our son's daughter is 17, unwed, and pregnant. Is it possible that you could re-run that column? It contained useful data that I want to share with our son's family. Thank you. — Grandma, Port Saint Lucie, Fla.

GRANDMA: The following information was provided by a medical professional in New Brunswick, Canada:

DR. WALLACE: I'm writing to you after reading a letter from a girl who was asking how much an abortion costs just in case she has an "accident" while having unprotected sex with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, using abortion as a type of birth control is all too common and yet very misunderstood.

Having worked at the Crisis Pregnancy Center for years, I've talked to many young girls who thought abortion was an easy birth control method. And yet some of these girls, who eventually had an abortion, struggled greatly after the fact, finding out how destruction an abortion can be. Many women arrived at the center seeking help after their abortion because of terrible guilt, suicidal tendencies, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other issues. Some only recently had an abortion and others had abortions many years ago, yet all had similar symptoms.

The point is that an abortion is not a typical medical procedure, as many believe, but a terrible, life-altering decision that affects many women for the rest of their lives. Many medical professionals have defined this as "post abortion syndrome," where the woman experiences some or all of the symptoms that I have stated above.

I would strongly encourage young women who are having sex carelessly to contact a local Crisis Pregnancy Center for information on abortion. One call may prevent a lifetime of guilt and pain. — Dana, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

DANA: Thanks for your informative letter. I'm sure many young women will benefit from it. Those who use abortion as a form of birth control pay a very high price emotionally.

THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES

DR. WALLACE: Please give me a simple yes or no answer. Do you think that parents should give their children an allowance if the family can afford it? — Nameless, Abingdon, Ill.

NAMELESS: Yes! It teaches teens to save, to budget and to spend their money wisely when parents supervise the spending.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Quinn Dombrowski