Key facts
About 16 million adolescent girls give birth to children every year - most in countries with low and moderate income.
An estimated 3 million girls aged 15 to 19 undergo unsafe abortions each year.
In countries with low and moderate income, complications of pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19 years.
Stillbirths and neonatal deaths are 50% higher among children of teenage mothers than among women aged 20 to 29 years.
The children of teenage mothers are more likely to have low birth weight.
Overview
Nearly 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and 2 million girls under 15 give birth every year. Globally, a girl of five has already had a child at the age of 18. In the poorest regions of the world, this figure rises to one in three.
Virtually all births to teenage mothers - 95% - occur in countries with low and moderate income. In countries, births to teenage mothers are generally more frequent among the poor, less educated and rural.
The causes
Several factors contribute to the prevalence of teenage pregnancy.
In many societies, girls are pressured to marry and have children early, or may have educational opportunities and limited job.
In countries with low and middle income, over 30% of girls marry before age 18 years nearly 14% before the age of 15 years. In addition, married adolescents are likely to become pregnant and have children because of social norms. The education level is, however, a protective factor against teen pregnancy: longer was education, early pregnancies are less numerous. The birth rate among women with less education are higher than those who have a high school education or higher.
Some teens do not know how to avoid pregnancy or are unable to obtain contraceptives. But even when contraceptives are widely available, sexually active adolescents are less likely to use them as adults. In Latin America, Europe and Asia, 42 to only 68% of teens who are married or couples use contraceptives. In Africa, this rate ranges from 3 to 49%.
Sex education is lacking in many countries. A global measure of coverage of sex education is estimated that only 36% of young men and 24% of women 15 to 24 countries with middle incomes have comprehensive and correct knowledge on how to prevent HIV .
In some situations, adolescent girls are not able to refuse sex. Sexual violence is widespread and particularly affects teenagers. More than a third of girls in some countries say their first intercourse was coerced.
The consequences
Pregnant teens are more likely than adults to undergo unsafe abortions. An estimated 3 million unsafe abortions occur worldwide each year among girls aged 15 to 19 years. These unsafe abortions account for a large part in lasting health problems and maternal deaths.
Having a child during adolescence has serious consequences for the health of mother and child, especially in regions where health systems are inadequate. In some countries, adolescents are less likely than adults to receive skilled care before, during and after childbirth.
Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are among the leading causes of death among girls aged 15 to 19 years in many countries to low and moderate income. Stillbirths and neonatal deaths are 50% higher among children born to teenage mothers than among mothers aged 20 to 29 years. The children of teenage mothers are more likely to have low birth weight, which can have long term effects on their health and development.
World situation
The teen pregnancy is a major factor in maternal mortality and child and also contributes to poor health poverty vicious circle. The Global Strategy for Health of Women and Children, launched in 2010 by the Secretary General of the United Nations, stressed the importance of health and well-being of adolescent girls to achieve the fifth goal the Millennium Development Goals on reducing maternal mortality.
WHO action
In May 2011, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution urging Member States to accelerate measures to improve young people's health. It provided for three specific measures:
review policies to protect young teenage pregnancy;
ensure access to contraception and reproductive health services, and
promote access to accurate information on sexual and reproductive health.
WHO has issued guidelines on how to prevent early pregnancy and adverse effects among adolescents in countries with low and moderate income. Prepared in partnership with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), these guidelines are based on a systematic review of existing research and consultation on policy makers, program managers and health workers in primary care. They contain recommendations based on evidence that countries can take, for six main objectives:
reduce the number of marriages before the age of 18;
awareness to build support for reducing the number of pregnancies before age 20 years;
increase contraceptive use of adolescents at risk of unwanted pregnancies;
reduce the incidence of coerced sex among adolescents;
reduce the number of unsafe abortions among adolescents;
increase use of skilled care before, during and after childbirth among adolescents.