Factors that contribute to adolescent pregnancies
Adolescent pregnancies are a global problem occurring in high-middle-and low-income countries
Around the world, however, adolescent pregnancies are more likely to occur in marginalized communities.
It is commonly driven by poverty and lack of education and employment opportunities
In many societies, girls are under pressure to marry and bear children early
In least developed countries, at least 39% of girls marry before they are 18 years of age and 12% before the age of 15
In many places girls choose to become pregnant because they have limited educational and employment prospects
Often, in such societies, motherhood is valued and marriage or union and childbearing may be the best of the limited options available
An additional cause of unintended pregnancy is sexual violence, which is widespread with more than a third of girls in some countries reporting that their first sexual encounter was coerced
Social and economic consequences
Social consequences for unmarried pregnant adolescents may include stigma, rejection or violence by partners, parents and peers
Girls who become pregnant before the age of 18 years are more likely to experience violence within a marriage or partnership
Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing often leads girls to drop out of school, although efforts are underway is some place to enable them to return to school after childbirth, this may well jeopardize girls’ future education and employment opportunities
Credit: WHO