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
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Worried About Teen Births? Read Our Paper
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 > Worried About Teen Births? Read Our Paper
Global Healthcare

Worried About Teen Births? Read Our Paper

Amanda Glassman
Amanda Glassman
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Despite declines in average fertility rates worldwide, an estimated 14 to 16 million children are born to women aged 15 to 19 each year. Over half of women in sub-Saharan Africa give birth before age 20.  As I’ve blogged previously, many of these births take place in the context of early marriage. Approximately half of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married by age 18, while 73% of girls are married by that same age in Bangladesh.

Despite declines in average fertility rates worldwide, an estimated 14 to 16 million children are born to women aged 15 to 19 each year. Over half of women in sub-Saharan Africa give birth before age 20.  As I’ve blogged previously, many of these births take place in the context of early marriage. Approximately half of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married by age 18, while 73% of girls are married by that same age in Bangladesh.

Pregnancy poses a substantial health risk for adolescents. The World Health Organization reports that health problems associated with adolescent pregnancy include increased maternal and neonatal mortality and increased incidence of preterm or low birth weight, among many other adverse health conditions. 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.

Yet beyond the health and rights consequences of teenage fertility, little work has systematized the extent of the non-health adverse effects associated with adolescent fertility and the effectiveness of the interventions used to date to reduce teenage fertility in low- and middle-income countries.  In a new paper, Kate McQueston, Rachel Silverman and I aim to fill this gap.

More Read

Ebola and the Bigger Patient Safety Issue
5 Signs That It Is Time to Reevaluate Your Independent Review Organization
#Doctors20 & You Conference: #mHealth, #ePatients, #Collaboration
Global Health: Determining Cost Effectiveness of New Technologies
Improving Healthcare Services And Management Through Tech Integration

First, we explore trends between adolescent childbearing and socioeconomic outcomes. While the review finds strong correlations between adolescent fertility and school drop-out, the question of causation remains far more ambiguous, as effect sizes decrease sharply with more rigorous research methods. Moreover, the study also finds that in some contexts, high numbers of women continue education after child birth—suggesting that childbirth and education (and other related outcomes) may not be incompatible.

Similarly, the review of interventions to reduce adolescent fertility finds variation across studies, but also notes some general findings. The evidence base for conditional cash transfers, though somewhat variable, is by far the most robust when compared to the other interventions. Additionally, programs that lowered barriers to attending school or increased the opportunity costs of not attending school were also found to be effective—suggesting that education may substitute for adolescent fertility. Notably, the most effective interventions appeared to be outside of the typical reproductive health sphere.

The paper is limited by the quality and scope of the studies available. Further, adolescent fertility and its causes are complex, nuanced issues that are affected by a range of motivations and external factors. Nonetheless, this research reframes the conversation about adolescent fertility and the policies and interventions that might be used to reduce its frequency.

Among other findings, we suggest that adolescent fertility is more consequence than cause of socioeconomic disadvantage. While fertility is often correlated with school dropout, other factors – current school enrollment, marital status, anticipated economic returns to education, family attitudes, and other related context — drive both school continuation and the likelihood of experiencing an adolescent pregnancy. This finding suggests that a more holistic (and possibly complex) approach may be needed to address the foundational causes of adolescent fertility. Creating economic opportunities for women, reducing adolescent marriage, and changing gender norms are likely to be more effective in the quest to accelerate economic development than merely reducing adolescent fertility.

While interventions that focused on increasing knowledge and changing attitudes about sexual and reproductive health appeared successful in the short term, there was little evidence of any long term impact. On the contrary, interventions that encouraged school attendance proved more effective in reducing overall adolescent fertility. This evidence suggests that policymakers should expand educational opportunities for girls and create incentives for school continuation, such as conditional cash payments or the expectation of a worthwhile job following graduation. Reproductive health services are important for many young women, but increasing contraceptive access and uptake may not, on its own, be sufficient to change fertility trends.

As the world prepares for the upcoming family planning summit, it is worth pausing to examine the findings of the growing experimental literature on programs that aim to reduce teen pregnancy and to consider a broader and synergistic approach.

TAGGED:teen pregnancy
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

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

How Information Therapy Promotes Patient Safety – Video

November 3, 2011
HR staff must deal with divisive views in healthcare
BusinessGlobal HealthcareHospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

HR Must Navigate Polarizing Views in Healthcare Workplaces

January 4, 2023

Making The Case for Behavioral Health Integration

March 18, 2016

Is it Possible to use Disruptive Innovations to Integrate Health Systems?: Video

May 13, 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?