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give birth each year, about 11% of all contributes to unwanted adolescent
births worldwide. pregnancies.
Ninety-five per cent of these births occur
in low- and middle-income countries. The Adolescent pregnancy is dangerous for the
average adolescent birth rate in middle- mother
income countries is more than twice as Although adolescents aged 10-19 years
high as that in high-income countries, with account for 11% of all births worldwide,
the rate in low-income countries being five they account for 23% of the overall burden
times as high. of disease (disability- adjusted life years)
The proportion of births that take place due to pregnancy and childbirth.
during adolescence is about 2% in China, Fourteen percent of all unsafe abortions
18% in Latin America and the Caribbean in low- and middle-income countries are
and more than 50% in sub-Saharan Africa. among women aged 15–19 years. About
Half of all adolescent births occur in just 2.5 million adolescents have unsafe
seven countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, abortions every year, and adolescents are
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more seriously affected by complications
Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and the United than are older women.
States. In Latin America, the risk of maternal death
is four times higher among adolescents
Pregnancy among very young adolescents is a younger than 16 years than among women
significant problem in their twenties.
In low- and middle-income countries, Many health problems are particularly
almost 10% of girls become mothers by associated with negative outcomes of
age 16 years, with the highest rates in pregnancy during adolescence. These
sub-Saharan Africa and south-central and include anaemia, malaria, HIV and other
south-eastern Asia. sexually transmitted infections, postpartum
The proportion of women who become haemorrhage and mental disorders, such
pregnant before age 15 years varies as depression.
enormously even within regions – in Up to 65% of women with obstetric fistula
sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the develop this as adolescents, with dire
rate in Rwanda is 0.3% versus 12.2% in consequences for their lives, physically and
Mozambique. socially.
The contexts of adolescent pregnancies are Adolescent pregnancy is dangerous for the
not always the same child
Having a child outside marriage is not Stillbirths and death in the first week of
uncommon in many countries. Latin life are 50% higher among babies born
America, the Caribbean, parts of sub- to mothers younger than 20 years than
Saharan Africa and high-income countries among babies born to mothers 20–29 years
have higher rates of adolescent pregnancy old.
outside marriage than does Asia.
Adolescent pregnancy
2
Adolescent pregnancy
following delivery, to give adolescents special
support for infant feeding and care and to
ensure that they have access to information,
skills and services, including adequate
counselling, to prevent subsequent pregnancies.
3
Department of Making Pregnancy Safer
Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development
Department of Gender, Women and Health
Department of Reproductive Health and Research