By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Recognizing When You Are Enabling A Person Struggling with Addiction
    February 5, 2021
    Contraception for Techno-Doctors
    July 13, 2011
    ACP Ethics Manual on Social Media, Catastrophes, and More
    January 13, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Adolescent Pregnancy
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > Adolescent Pregnancy
Global HealthcareNews

Adolescent Pregnancy

Amanda Glassman
Amanda Glassman
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Last week the world welcomed its seven billionth child. Whether this child is Maya (the World Bank’s virtual seven billionth child) or Danica (the UN’s symbolic but ‘real life’ seven billionth child from the Philippines), the arrival of the world’s seven billionth person has led to a renewed interest in population across many sectors of government, health, and development work.

Last week the world welcomed its seven billionth child. Whether this child is Maya (the World Bank’s virtual seven billionth child) or Danica (the UN’s symbolic but ‘real life’ seven billionth child from the Philippines), the arrival of the world’s seven billionth person has led to a renewed interest in population across many sectors of government, health, and development work.

Reaching such a substantial milestone was bound to bring about mixed reactions—and it did, from the “more the merrier” musings of Charles Kenny to concerns regarding food security and increasing poverty. But in the background of this population debate is a fertility issue that should be addressed whether or not concerns about global population are in the spotlight—adolescent pregnancy.

According to a study published earlier this year, every year there are over 14 million births to women between the ages of 15 and 19—with the overwhelming majority (over 90 percent) of these births occurring in low-and middle-income countries. In some countries adolescent fertility is stagnating or actually increasing, as in Brazil and Georgia.

More Read

Patient studying at patient forum
Patients Helping Patients: Improving Health Literacy and Cancer Care
Breast Cancer Rates Rising in India, Especially Among Younger Women
Established to Emerging, Commodity to Advanced in Wound Management
Using EHR systems in healthcare for Cost-Effective Services
5 Reasons Latinos Could Be The Most Powerful Transformation Of The U.S. Health System

Putting population issues aside, pregnancy poses a substantial health risk for adolescents. The World Health Organization reports that the health problems associated with adolescent pregnancy include increased maternal and neonatal mortality and increased incidence of preterm or low birth weight, among many other health conditions. In fact, a study from the British Medical Journal found that complications from pregnancy and childbirth were the leading causes of death for young women between the ages of 15-19 in developing countries. Due to the disproportionately high maternal mortality rates among adolescents–which are even higher for those under 15–high rates of adolescent pregnancy can have a negative effect on the achievement of Millennium Development Goals relating to maternal mortality.

Adding to health concerns for mother and child, high rates of adolescent pregnancy might have a broader economic impact. CGD’s Start With a Girl report highlighted that adolescent pregnancy in India may lead to over $100 billion in lost income, an amount equivalent to twenty years of total humanitarian assistance world-wide.

Adolescent girls in general may be an underserved population, but a subset of girls is even more underserved than the rest—married teenagers. A 2009 study of young women in Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan found that 30-70% of participants were married before age 18. Unfortunately for married adolescents, most programs that aim to reduce adolescent pregnancy are focused on their unmarried counterparts—who are less likely to be exposed to pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and short birth spacing. Although many countries have made 18 the legal age of marriage, almost 10 million teenage girls are married annually (cites).

One problem is that we don’t really know what works to address this. As of a 2009 systematic review, only two RCT of interventions to reduce adolescent pregnancy were run in developing countries. There are now more – 17 by our count – that range from conditional cash transfers to peer teaching programs. However, the efficacy of interventions varies widely, with several showing no effect at all. Given the magnitude of the problem and the fact that the “choices” that young women make today will inform whether we stop at 9 billion people in 2050 or less, is it too much to hope that renewed attention be paid to this issue?

While Maya will be “growing up” behind a computer screen, Danica will be coming of age in a world where child marriage and adolescent pregnancy are a harsh reality—with significant consequences. Hopefully, by the time she reaches 15, she’ll be living in a world where child marriage and adolescent pregnancy are no longer a common occurrence (currently in places like the Philippines, over 10% of women are married before age 18 and the adolescent fertility rate is 53 per 1000 girls 15-19), but that change will be unlikely without substantial—and smart–investments in adolescent health and education.

TAGGED:adolescent pregnancyworld population
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Amanda Glassman
As a healthcare blogger and author, I have been writing about the latest developments in the medical field for over 10 years. My work has been featured on various online publications, including Healthline and WebMD. I am passionate about educating people on how to stay healthy through proper nutrition and exercise practices. In addition to my blog posts, I have also authored several books that focus on health topics such as dieting tips, disease prevention strategies, and mental health awareness initiatives. My goal is to provide readers with reliable information so they can make informed decisions regarding their well-being.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

recognize the warning signs of liver disease
News

Common Symptoms of Liver Diseases & Signs of Liver Damage

July 3, 2022
medical malpractice
Global HealthcareMedical EthicsPolicy & Law

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Timeline: 4 Things To Remember

November 22, 2021

What Causes Inflammation? A Comprehensive Look At The Causes and Effects Of Inflammation (part 3)

April 10, 2012

Californians’ Attitudes and Experiences with Death and Dying

February 16, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?