Teenage pregnancy considerations

Abstract

Teen pregnancy has serious consequences for young women, their children and communities as a whole. Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenage girl, usually within ages of 13 – 19, becoming pregnant. This refers to girls who have not reached legal adulthood, who become pregnant. A significant number of these pregnancies are unplanned and unwanted. This contributes to the high maternal mortality plus obstetric complications and the burden of unsafe abortion. Teenage pregnancy is the leading cause of mortality in girls aged 15 to 19 years, and 90% of the deaths are occurring in low to middle income countries and most of them are preventable.1 Too early childbearing increases the likelihood of dropout from school, making individuals less likely to pursue education further or skills training because they fail to balance motherhood and schooling. This limits their job opportunities and financial self sufficiency leading to a continuing cycle of poverty and inequality.