Every day in developing countries, 20,000 girls below age 18 give birth. Nine in 10 of these births occur within marriage or a union. This has consequences on the health, education, employment and rights of an untold millions of girls. What are the challenges of adolescent pregnancy, and what can we do to ensure girls have a healthy and safe transition into adulthood? This document explores the various impacts of motherhood on adolescents and some of the interventions countries are implementing to mediate the negative effects.
Key Findings:
- Many of the actions by governments, civil society and international organisations that have helped girls prevent pregnancy were not specifically designed for that purpose.
- Multilevel interventions that aim to develop girls’ human capital, focus on their agency to make decisions about their reproductive health, and promote gender equality and respect for human rights have had documentable impact on preventing pregnancies.
- Some categories of intervention—such as providing comprehensive sexuality education—have been broadly evaluated as being effective in increasing knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, including contraception, changing behaviours of boys and girls, or increasing use of contraception.
- Investing in girls empowers them in many ways, including enabling them to prevent pregnancy.
- Dismantling the barriers to girls’ enjoyment of their rights and addressing the underlying causes of adolescent pregnancy can positively transform girls’ lives and futures.
- The most vulnerable girls, including those who are extremely poor, ethnic minorities or from indigenous populations, and very young adolescents who have been forced into marriage, require additional support but are often left out of development or sexual and reproductive health programmes. In most cases, contextual data and information about these girls are scarce or non-existent, and little is known about their vulnerabilities and challenges, so it is not surprising that few governments or civil society organisations have formulated policies, programmes or laws that can protect or empower them.
- A growing number of governments are investing in adolescents in ways that empower them to prevent a pregnancy, but fewer have invested in systems and services that support a girl who has become pregnant or who has had a child and that can help protect her health and the health of her child and help her realise her potential in life.
Recommendations:
A new way of thinking is needed about the challenge of adolescent pregnancy. Instead of viewing the girl as the problem and changing her behaviour as the solution, governments, communities, families and schools should see poverty, gender inequality, discrimination, lack of access to services, and negative views about girls and women as the real challenges, and the pursuit of social justice, equitable development and the empowerment of girls as the true pathway to fewer adolescent pregnancies.
- Reach girls ages 10 to 14.
- Invest strategically in adolescent girls’ education.
- Adopt approaches grounded in human rights and meet international human rights obligations.
- Ensure adolescents’ access to comprehensive sexuality education, services and maternal health care.
- Prevent child marriage, sexual violence and coercion.
- Support multilevel programmes.
- Engage men and boys.
