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TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy is pregnancy occurring in a female under the age of 20 (Wikipedia).

Adolescent pregnancies are a global issue with prevalence in the developing economies of the world. Sub-Saharan Africa records the highest within the developing regions with about 143 per 1000 girls aged 15-19 years. The occurrence in urban areas are relatively lower compared to marginalized communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 reported an estimated 21 million girls aged 15-19 years becoming pregnant in developing countries. A minimum of 777,000 births out of this total occur among adolescent girls below age 15.

The figures are not evenly spread among the countries within the region. There are significant and huge variations within the regions, countries and further variations are even seen in different segments of a particular country.

Several factors contribute to adolescent pregnancies and births. Most commonly factors driving it are poverty, lack or inadequate education and employment opportunities. In many societies of the developing regions, girls are under pressure to marry and bear children early. At least, 39% of girls marry before they are 18 years of age and 12% before the age of 15.

In instances where motherhood, marriage and child bearing have great importance attached to them, situations such as limited access to educational facilities and unattractive employment prospects makes the choice of becoming pregnant seem to be the best option from the limited choices girls may have.

An additional cause of unintended pregnancy among adolescents is sexual violence. This phenomenon is widespread with more than a third of girls in some countries reporting that their first sexual encounter was coerced.

Adolescents make about 22.4% of the total (31,072,940) Ghanaian population. It was reported in 2017 that, about 30% of the total births registered in 2014 were by adolescent girls. This suggests 14% of the total adolescent female population are now mothers (Ghana Statistical Service).

In Ghana, the adolescent fertility rate (number of births per 1000 women ages 15- 19 years) stood at 67.64% in 2016, 66.61% in 2017 and 65.78% in 2018 (World Development Indicators 2020).

The Ashanti, Northern, North-East, Savannah, Central, Ahafo, Bono-East and Bono Regions of Ghana are predominantly, recording high cases of teenage pregnancies annually. A total number of 778 adolescent pregnancies was recorded in the Bono, Ahafo and Bono-East regions in 2017.

The Eastern Region also recorded about 470 births per 1000 women aged 15-19 years in 2017. This represented about 11.1% of the total births recorded in the region in 2017.

Overwhelmingly, the Central Region recorded about 11,386 teenage pregnancies in 2018. Though this was a decline from figures such as 13,014 in 2015, 12,404 in 2016 and 11,474 in 2017, the numbers are still alarming in the region (Ghana Health Service ANC Report 2019).

According to Ashanti Regional GES report, the region recorded 1,228 teenage pregnancies in 2019. Again, the Greater Accra Region also recorded 404 cases in 2019.

Teen births in 2020 was reported to be 17.4% of the total births recorded (www.statisca.com).

The consequences of adolescent pregnancies span through, social, economic, health (biological, psychological, physiological, mental), among others. Pregnancy related health issues are experienced by adult women and teenage girls alike, except the intensity among teenage girls is more severe. Teenage girls (especially those under 15 years) are less likely to be physically developed to sustain a healthy pregnancy till delivery. Teenagers between ages 15 and 19 are more prone to socioeconomic effects of the condition than to biological effects. These effects are not only on the mothers but also on the new born babies.

The global leading cause of death among girls of 15 – 19 years is pregnancy and the complications that may arise from childbirth. Adolescent mothers aged 10-19 years face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, anemia and systemic infections than young women aged 20-24 years.

Many teenage girls seek prenatal care usually after their third trimester. Consequently, babies born to these mothers often face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm delivery and severe neonatal conditions. These detrimental conditions become worse to both mother and child when teenage births become rapidly repeated.

Socially, stigma, rejection or violence by partners, parents and peers are suffered by unmarried pregnant adolescents. Girls who become pregnant before the age of 18 years are more likely to experience violence within a marriage or partnership. Teenage girls dropping out of school and its consequential effects on future education and employment opportunities cannot be overemphasized although policies are in place for these afflicted adolescents to return to school after child delivery.

A study in 2001 revealed that, the tendency for a teenage mother or teenage girl who is pregnant to commit suicide is seven times greater than other teenagers.

The Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service are anticipating a sharp rise in the figures for 2020 and 2021 since schools were closed down for about 10 months following the lockdown measures to contain the novel Coronavirus Pandemic that Ghana was not spared from.

Written by: Gail Ofori