Unintended Teenage Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study to Explore Perspectives and Experiences of Young Mothers

Abstract

Teenage sexual activity and unintended pregnancy is a growing societal problem, particularly in a culturally-sensitive region such as Asia. This paper explores the perspectives and experiences of young mothers with unintended teenage pregnancies. A qualitative study with a one-to-one approach was conducted with ten teenagers aged 16 to 19 years old with unintended pregnancy. The participants were selected via purposive sampling from a woman protection centre in west-coastal Peninsular Malaysia. Perspectives of unintended teenage pregnancy, factors influencing unintended teenage pregnancy, and approaches to overcome unintended teenage pregnancy were themes that emerged from the data. The study findings can be used to develop suitable models, training modules and educational programmes for the prevention of unintended pregnancy among teenagers.