Abstract:
In many parts of the world, pregnancy in adolescence has been found to be associated with adverse health, economic, educational and social consequences. In particular, as a result of biological immaturity and social disadvantage, teenage pregnancy is linked to high risk of low birth weight, premature birth, unsafe abortion and miscarriage that may result in high child and maternal mortality and morbidity (Acsadi and Johnson-Acsadi 1990; Sharma et al. 2003; Gupta and Mahy 2003; Magadi 2004). These adverse effects are compounded in populations where maternal health care among teenage mothers is very poor (Borja and Adair 2003). A reduction in education and employment opportunities hinders women from contributing effectively to social and economic development of a country (Siu-Man and Boachang 1995). As a consequence of limited life opportunities, young mothers face gender inequalities, which subject them to subordinate positions in a society (Jewkes et al. 2009). As a matter of universal concern, reducing teenage pregnancy is an indicator within the target of universal access to reproductive health under the “improve maternal health” goal, one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (Jewkes et al. 2009; Human Sciences Research Council [HSRC] 2009). It is now widely accepted that high rates of teenage pregnancy contribute to the cycle of maternal mortality and indicate poorer reproductive health.
