Persisting teen age births, a global challenge

Abstract

Introduction: Teen age births, though have reduced, are still common, with a lot of impact on mothers’, babies’, families’, communities’, nations’ health, world at large. Impact can echo throughout girl’s life, carry over to next generations. It has been revealed that globally unmarried adolescents have less access to family planning than general population and sex during adolescence is common with lack of awareness of sequlae in girls, specially in South East Asia. Objectives: To know about teen age births, effects, global challenges in prevention of teen age births, their sequlae. Methodology: Simple review about various studies, health providers views was done by different search engines like Uptodate, Pubmed, Ermed Consortium, Cochrane Library, Delnet, MedIND and self experiences were added. Results: Racial/ethnic geographic disparities in teen births persist, both within, across Countries, States, Districts, Communities, some with low rates and others with high. United States of America (USA) reported much higher teen age births compared to other developed countries though declined after 1991 dramatically between 2007 and 2016 as per published research using National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and Youth Risk Behaviour Survey in USA. Change was influenced primarily by increase in contraceptive use, to lesser degree declines in sexual activity. It was also revealed that in all countries, unmarried adolescents appeared to have less access to family planning than general population of. USA Teenage pregnancy has been reported to be associated with number of adverse health outcomes for mother, baby as well as social economic disadvantages for individuals, their future families even next generations. Existing literature suggested that the persistence of teen age births and many other aspects of girls lives reflected range of cultural, socio-economic factors. Conclusion: There is need of Improving adolescents awareness about sexuality, reproduction, sequlae. Access to contraceptives as per need, including emergency conception are essential. Public youth policies must consider the differences in stories of adolescents. Policies programs’ must go around their lives.