The Experiences of Pregnancy Among Adolescent Girls in Jordan.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the experience of pregnancy among adolescent girls ages 16 to 19 years in Jordan.

Design: Descriptive exploratory qualitative design.

Setting: Participants were recruited from antenatal clinics and postpartum wards in Ministry of Health primary health care clinics and hospitals across Jordan. This included a wide geographic area in Jordan that covered several cities: Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, As-Salt, and others.

Participants: The total number of participants was 13. Most participants were primiparous, and three were multiparous. Five participants were recruited during the postpartum period, seven in the second and third trimester, and one during the first trimester.

Measurements: Data were collected using semistructured and audio-recorded interviews and analyzed concurrently. Thematic analysis was used. A total of 13 interviews were conducted.

Results: Two core themes emerged from the study: Navigating the Change and Reflecting on the Experience of Pregnancy. The first theme included four subthemes: Making Adjustments, Seeking Support, Searching for Information, and Feeling the Responsibility.

Conclusion: Considering the impact of pregnancy on adolescent girls and their fetuses, early marriages should be reconsidered in legal and health policies in Jordan and worldwide. Adolescents expressed a need for more information about pregnancy. Age-appropriate comprehensive sexual education that includes discussion of gender issues and women's empowerment is needed. Online sources of pregnancy information targeting the needs of adolescents are also recommended. More research is needed to explore the needs of pregnant adolescents in different social and cultural contexts.