Written by Editorial Team
The last decade has witnessed a constant rise in teen pregnancies in India. The main reason is child marriage and also the lack of proper sex education in schools which leads teenagers to have unprotected sex. In fact teen pregnancies in India are deemed to be even higher than those in UK and US. Plagues like early marriage, illiteracy and high infant mortality rates are basically the reasons that cause pregnancies in young girls between 14 to 19 years.
Even a few years earlier, if you mentioned teen pregnancy, people would stare at you angrily and not only that, it was a matter of great shock. But today, it has become very common. Ask any gynecologist and they will definitely say that though the increasing number of such cases is alarming but it is not surprising.
As per a reports by the UN Statistics Division, estimates are that India has had about 86 cases per 1000 women in the age group of 15-19 years between the years 1995-2010 who have had teenage pregnancies. Come to think of it, we are a country where pre-marital sex is not really a trend. The figures are disturbing and even a cause of alarm. Cultural constraints push women to have more kids even if they do not want to, and drives them to illnesses and weakness for the rest of their lives.
Technically defined as a pregnancy that occurs in girls aged less than 19 years, adolescent pregnancy is a complex issue in itself. Girls aged between 12-14 years are more likely to be talked or forced into having unplanned and unprotected sex giving way to teenage pregnancies. About two thirds of teen pregnancies occur in girls aged between 18-19 years.
There are many factors which lead to teen pregnancy:
Another huge problem is awareness. There is no awareness in our teens. A study showed that most of the sexually active girls even consider using a contraceptive after indulging in 6 months of sexual activity!
The effects of teen pregnancies are adverse. It becomes difficult for the mothers and the babies to be socially adopted. Here are a few serious effects:
Apart from these after effects, there are huge risks involved for both the mother and the baby.
Childbearing is not an easy thing. It takes a toll both mentally as well as physically. There is a reason people decide a certain age for pregnancy. It is because at this stage the body is fully grown as well as the lady knows how to condition her body and also how to take care of the baby. Teen mothers lack all of this knowledge.
It is important to take the right decision at the right time to avoid such pregnancies. By doing this you will not only save your life, but also your baby’s.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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amos malgas
Oct 11, 2016
send me more information about causes and effects of teenage pregnancy ( literature review)
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