Unplanned but not unwanted? Teen pregnancy and parenthood among young people with refugee backgrounds

Abstract

African-born young women with refugee backgrounds in Victoria, Australia, are experiencing elevated rates of teen pregnancy and early parenthood relative to other young women. Drawing primarily on qualitative data from a longitudinal study of settlement and well-being of refugee youth, this article examines the ways young women with refugee backgrounds negotiate teen pregnancy and early motherhood while also managing the challenges of early settlement. While young women indicate that their pregnancies were not planned, they are not necessarily unwanted. Nonetheless, early motherhood involves substantial challenges and complexities, particularly in relation to education, housing and social support. Policy and programmatic responses need to focus both on increasing understanding and capacity for reproductive choice among young women with refugee backgrounds, and providing support for teen parents in order to facilitate successful settlement.