Unmarried Teenagers Research Articles

Study protocol for a type-II hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial to reach teenagers using mobile money shops to reduce unintended pregnancies in Uganda

IntroductionUnintended teenage pregnancies have become a global public health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a notably high prevalence of unintended pregnancies among unmarried teenagers in Uganda. This study...

Discovery of Knowledge and Perception among the Indigenous People Related to Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Education

This study examined the knowledge and perceptions of sexual education and teenage pregnancy among Indigenous people in Pekan, Malaysia. The research aimed to address the high rates of teenage pregnancy, particularly among unmarried teenagers, in the country. Through qualitative methods, including semistructured interviews with Indigenous participants, several themes emerged. These themes included the sources of sexual education, such as formal and informal channels, first sexual experiences, safe-sex beliefs, and the importance of sexual education for children. The study also explored perceptions of teenage pregnancy, identifying factors like young marriage and premarital dating. Participants shared their views on premarital motherhood among those under 20 years old, as well as the acceptance and responses of parents and the responsibility of the baby’s father. The study highlighted the complications of teenage pregnancy for both the baby and mother. The findings revealed a lack of sexual education knowledge among Indigenous participants, attributed to limited access to facilities like mobile phones and limited interaction with outsiders. The study recommends further research and the dissemination of awareness and knowledge about sexual education, particularly through campaigns and outreach efforts to Indigenous communities, while also emphasise the need to review the effectiveness of these initiatives.

A comprehensive interventional program based on the needs and concerns related to female genital cosmetic surgeries: protocol for a multistage mixed methods study

BackgroundDissatisfaction with one's body and the subsequent rise in the cosmetic surgery trend pose significant public health concerns today. One unusual cosmetic surgical procedure involves enhancing the genital area. Numerous healthy women and girls have recently sought Genital Cosmetic Surgery (GCS) for beauty or improved sexual performance. There is a concern that this phenomenon may be linked to developing a new standard for vulvovaginal appearance. This stringent standard could potentially adversely affect women's mental health in the future, growing feelings of insecurity and possibly leading teenagers to consider plastic surgery.Implementing empowering and awareness-raising programs for women and girls is crucial, especially in light of the constantly evolving gender norms and the medicalization of sexuality and beauty as social constructs. It is essential that such training is integrated into comprehensive sexual education programs for adolescents. These efforts align perfectly with the SDG, recognizing that education in sexual and reproductive health, ensuring access to health, and empowering women are fundamental rights for women and girls. To accomplish these objectives, we will conduct this study to elucidate the needs and concerns related to the increasing trend of GCS. By doing so, we can concentrate on the factors motivating women to undergo GCS. This approach will enable us to develop effective interventions to empower women and girls considering GCS, thus enhancing their sexual and reproductive health.Methods and objectivesThe objectives of this multistage exploratory sequential mixed-method study will be structured into three phases:First phase: qualitative study.In-depth interviews will be conducted to elucidate the needs and concerns associated with GCS with women with a history of GCS, spouses of willing participants, and women actively seeking these procedures.A literature review in parallel with the qualitative phase will be conducted to gain insights into the needs and concerns of women worldwide considering GCS.Second phase: program design.To formulate an intervention grounded in the primary priorities identified during the qualitative stage and informed by the literature review.To prioritize the needs and concerns of women seeking GCS and to validate and endorse the intervention through input from an expert panel.Third phase: quantitative study.To assess and determine the effectiveness of the intervention designed to address the needs and concerns of women applying for GCS procedures.DiscussionThis study marks the first attempt to design and assess an intervention addressing the needs and concerns of cosmetic surgeries performed on the female genital and reproductive system. The hope is that this study's compilation and implementation will yield substantial evidence and documentation regarding the impact of educational interventions on women's and girls' sexual and reproductive empowerment. Given the rising prevalence of GCS among unmarried teenagers, this approach is of utmost significance. It underscores the necessity for gynecological and midwifery service providers to have comprehensive guidance on GCS. Such guidance can be an essential resource for healthcare providers in this field.

Prevalence and correlates of teenage pregnancy among in-school teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hoima district western Uganda-A cross sectional community-based study.

The COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions and lockdown measures had compromised the routine delivery and access of sexual and reproductive health and rights services to the population including the teenage girls. However, the teenage pregnancy rates during COVID-19 pandemic period were poorly documented. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and the factors associated with teenage pregnancy among in-school teenage girls during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Hoima District Uganda. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that employed quantitative research methods. A total of 314 in-school teenage girls aged 13-19 years were selected using a multi-stage sampling techniques. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data from the participant's homes during the period December 2021-January 2022. Data analysis was done using univariate, bi-variate, and multivariate. The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among the in-school teenage girls in Hoima district Uganda was 30.6% [96/314]. Higher teenage pregnancy rates were prevalent among the unmarried teenage girls [aOR: 9.6; 95%CI: 4.64-19.87; p = 0.000], teenage girls studying from boarding schools [aOR 2.83, 95%CI 1.36-5.86, p = 0.005], contraceptive non-users [aOR: 2.54; 95%CI: 1.12-5.4; p = 0.015] and teenage girls involved in sex trade [aOR 3.16, 95%CI 1.5-6.7, p = 0.003]. The factors associated with the reduced likelihood for teenage pregnancy included being an adult teenage girl aged 18-19 years [aOR: 0.15; 95%CI: 0.07-0.32; p = 0.000] and not receiving sex education during the period [aOR 0.36, 95%CI 0.13-0.62, p = 0.024]. The results indicated that 3 out of 10 in-school teenage girls from Hoima district Uganda got pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic period of 2021. Teenage pregnancy was prevalent among teenage girls who don't use modern contraceptive methods and those involved in sex trade. Teenage pregnancy was however, less prevalent among adult teenage girls aged 18-19 years. The findings point to the need for health stakeholders to innovate creative policies, contingency plans and programmes aimed at delaying age for sexual activities, increasing contraceptive use and minimizing pregnancy risk from sex trade among in-school teenage girls during COVID-19 pandemics.

Life-Changing Coping Mechanisms and Resilience Strategies of Post-Natal Unmarried Teenage Mothers in the Central Region, Ghana

Aim: The paper aimed at exploring the life-changing coping and interventional strategies adopted by unmarried teenage mothers in Enyan Denkyira in the Central Region of Ghana.
 Methods: The paper adopted the phenomenological design and through Snowballing and Purposive techniques, sampled 15 unmarried teenage mothers, 10 church leaders, and 2 District Assembly officials who accounted for their daily coping mechanisms and interventional strategies existing for teenage mothers in the Enyan Denkyira District.
 Results: The study revealed that teenage mothers in Enyan Denkyira continued to engage in labor-intensive occupations such as fetching water for construction works and washing other people's clothes to make ends meet. It was evident that when the support they got from sympathizers did not come and their other sources of income also failed, they were pushed into relying on men which made them become perpetual victims of unprepared pregnancy and premature motherhood.
 Conclusion: It was therefore recommended that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) money should be expanded to benefit more teenage mothers. Also, religious bodies, institutions, and the family must be encouraged and supported by the government to continue to play their roles as sources of social protection for teenage mothers instead of neglecting them.

Post-Natal Daily Living Experiences of Unmarried Teenage Mothers: A Phenomenological Study in Enyan Denkyira, Ghana

Aim: This study explored the post-natal daily living experiences of teenage mothers in Enyan Denkyira, Ghana.
 Method: The study employed the phenomenological research design, and utilized the snowballing sampling technique to recruit 15 teenage mothers. Data for this research were gathered via in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussion, and they were analysed thematically.
 Results: According to the findings, these mothers faced hunger and nutritional deficiencies due to financial difficulties, and this subsequently compromised their health. Furthermore, majority of the adolescent mothers were dropouts who had failed to learn any vocation to enable them earn income, as well as enhance their self-esteem.
 Conclusion: In light of the findings, the paper recommends for the establishment of interventions that would provide teenage mothers some income support, as well as opportunities for education and microenterprise development. These interventions could help enhance their wellbeing.

The Stigmas Associated With Teen Parenting: How Gender-Stereotypical Expectations Contribute

One hundred three students from a small liberal arts college rated statements about potential stigma associated with unmarried teen parents. After reading a scenario describing an unmarried teen couple’s pregnancy and early parenting experiences, participants indicated their level of agreement with 11 statements for either the mother or the father. Multivariate analysis of variance comparisons of the items indicated that the focus of attention was on the mother, in both positive and negative ways. Compared to unmarried teen fathers, unmarried teen mothers were seen as more sexually promiscuous, and too young to be a parent. On the other hand, mothers were also rated significantly as spending more time with their child, and assumed as more responsible. Unmarried teen fathers were seen as significantly more ambitious, whereas respondents thought it was more important for mothers to continue their education. Results reinforce the idea that unmarried teen mothers are expected to bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of care for their child. Knowledge of these results could lead to greater sensitivity toward unmarried teen parents and lend to more helpful support, which could assist them, and their children, to succeed despite their circumstances.

Medico-Legal Findings in Victims and Accused of Sexual Assault

Background: Sexual assault is one of the heinous and barbarous crimes and continues to plague our nation. It is present in every countries cutting across boundaries of culture, race, gender, relationship, social standing and the extremes of ages. The current study aims to analyze the incidence of sexual assault cases, their socio-demographic parameters, incidence to reporting time and relationship of the assailant with the victim and pattern of injury for evaluation of sexual assault.
 Materials and Methods: The medico-legal reports of 102 sexual assaults cases were retrieved and analyzed retrospectively which was examined by Department of Forensic Medicine from October 2019 to September 2020 at Dhulikhel hospital. All the data were entered in SPSS version 25 and results were ascertained.
 Results: Out of 102 samples, 52 female victims and 48 accused were analyzed. Two were male victims of sodomy. The mean age was 20.54±10.78 and 27.67±11.08 for victim and accused respectively, the most vulnerable being unmarried teenagers. Most of the accused and victims were familiar with each other (81.25%) and the common incident locale was victim’s own house. Genital injury was seen in 53.85% and general injury in 32.7% of the victims. Only 13.46 % victims and 12.50% of accused were brought for examination on the same day. Genital injury had significant association with age (p=0.003) and day of examination (p=0.029). Four of the victims were positive for pregnancy test.
 Conclusion: Hence this study aims to highlight that sexual assault is a catastrophe and there is a dire need of educating the vulnerable groups.

Teenage pregnancy among unmarried teenagers in Malawi: Does sex of the household head matter?

The role of parents, especially the household head, is very crucial in the sexual values and behaviour of teenagers. This study used the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) data of 2015-16 to examine the impact of sex of the household head on pregnancy outcomes among unmarried teenagers in Malawi. Using STATA 14, the data was analysed using univariate, bivariate and multivariate level of analysis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the association between sex of the household head and teenage pregnancy. Results showed that teenage pregnancy was higher among unmarried females living in female-headed households (OR 2.54; CI: 1.01-6.43) compared to females from male-headed households. The study also found that unmarried teenagers with secondary and higher education had lower risk of teenage pregnancy (OR 0.53; CI: 0.40-0.72) compared to those with no education and primary education. The study concludes that teenage pregnancy is higher in female-headed households, a finding which suggests that parenting styles differ between male and female heads of households. Policy interventions in regard to sex education should be specific to the sex of the household heads in which teenage girls reside, while unmet need for contraceptives among teenagers should also be addressed.

Granulosa Cell Tumour – A Rare Presentation at Age Twenty

Granulosa cell tumor is a rare type of ovarian tumor, which arises from sex cord stroma. Histologically this tumor has two types and is named according to the common age group they affect; adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) and juvenile granulosa cell tumor. AGCT constitutes 2-5% of all ovarian cancers. Mostly present in women of age > 40 years. In this case report, we discussed the role of conservative surgery in young adult reported with granulosa cell tumor. An unmarried teenage girl presented at a private tertiary care hospital with abdominal pain and abdominal distention. Radiological examinations suggested a mass originating from the right ovary for which laparotomy was done and a ruptured cyst was found near the right ovary with a mass adherent to surrounding peritoneal viscera. Right ovarian cystectomy along with omental biopsy and left ovarian biopsy was performed. Rare presentation of this tumor will help clinicians to not categorize the type histologically with the age group.

Performance of Sickle SCAN<sup>®</sup> in the Screening of Sickle Cell Disease in Kisangani Pregnant Women and Attitude towards Results

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the sickle cell trait carriage is estimated at 25%. Routine neonatal screening is not a common practice, leading to a very late diagnosis. In this study, the screening of pregnant women was assessed as well as their attitudes. This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 245 pregnant women, sampled by convenience in four hospitals in Kisangani city (Democratic Republic of Congo) and screened using the sickle SCAN® test, from February 1 to July 31, 2019. The sensitivity and specificity of the latter were determined using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry as the gold standard. The attitudes of 240 pregnant women without previous screening history were assessed upon the announcement of the results. The sensitivity of screening for hemoglobin (Hb) AA and Hb AS was 96.69% and 98.39%, respectively; while the specificities were 99.43% and 96.32%, respectively. The Kappa coefficient (κ) was excellent. Concerning attitudes, Hb SS pregnant women and 55.17% of AS pregnant women worried when the results relating to their hemoglobin status were announced. The sickle SCAN® test was found reliable for sickle cell disease screening in Kisangani. The announcement of the results, mainly positive, raises worry among pregnant woman. Therefore, we recommend the involvement of a clinician psychologist for pre-screening counselling and for results announcement, as well as early newborns and unmarried teenage girls screening.

Economic Consequences of Placing a Child for Adoption Among Unmarried Teenage Mothers

Past research suggests that less than 1 percent of children born to unmarried teenage mothers are placed for adoption. This low rate of adoption placement is surprising given the large possible economic consequences of teenage childbearing. We document the economic consequences on the four groups of people most directly affected by the decision to place the child for adoption: the mother, the child, the future children of the mother, and the grandparents of the child. We find that, on average, the combined lifetime economic benefit to these four groups from the decision to place a child for adoption is well over a million dollars. While the decision to place a child for adoption involves consideration of multiple social, family, and child factors, the results in this paper suggest that policies that produce even a small increase in the fraction of unmarried teenage mothers placing their child for adoption could produce very large social returns.

TRADISI NYUNGGI PRATIMA PADA UPACARA MELASTI DI DESA BUDENG KECAMATAN JEMBRANA KABUPATEN JEMBRANA (Perspektif Pendidikan Agama Hindu)

<p><em>Nyunggi Pratima Tradition is a tradition passed down from generation to generation which is a series of Melasti ceremony in Budeng Village conducted by unmarried teenage girl by way of disunggi/ nyunggi, Because according to the local community belief Ida Bhatara who came down the tangible woman and have the name Ida Dewa Ayu Mas Dalem Jimbaran, then of that not just anyone can Nyunggi Pratima sea other than women who are single.The purpose of this research are: (1) To know the form of Nyunggi Pratima Tradition at Melasti Ceremony in Budeng Village, Jembrana Subdistrict, Jembrana Regency. (2) To describe the function of Nyunggi Pratima Tradition at Melasti Ceremony in Budeng Village, Jembrana Subdistrict, Jembrana Regency. (3) To know the values of Education contained in Nyunggi Pratima Tradition at Melasti Ceremony in Budeng Village, Jembrana Subdistrict, Jembrana Regency. The method used is the method of observation, interview, documentation, literature techniques, and data analysis.</em></p><p><em>The result of this research are: (1) The form of the implementation of Nyunggi Pratima Tradition at Melasti Ceremony to be done by female teenagers who are still girls or unmarried and return from Pratima no mekolem at Pura Puseh, (2) Traditional Function of Nyunggi Pratima at Melasti Ceremony In Budeng Village that is (a) Religious Function is the existence of the belief Budeng Village community with the implementation of Nyunggi Pratima tradition will occur balance and harmony among the residents with bhuwana agung, (b) Value Enculturation is the existence of togetherness between youth and the community in following tradition Nyunggi Pratima At the Melasti ceremony. (3) The value of education in the prestigious Nyunggi tradition at Melasti ceremony are: 1) the basic value to analyze the educational value of Tatwa 2) the Instrumental Value to analyze the value of ethical education, 3) the value of Praxis to analyze the value of Educational Events / yajna.</em><strong><em></em></strong></p>

The State as Marriage Partner of Last Resort: A Labor Market Approach to Single Motherhood in the United States, 1960-1980

This paper develops a labor-market orientated expected utility model to explain the massively high level of non-marital fertility, especially teenage single motherhood in the United States in the period 1960-1980. Labor market regulations reduce, via disemployment, male youth incomeearning capacity and thus reduce expected female opportunities on the marriage market. The mandated minimum wage rates together with increased minimum wage coverage are shown to increase non-participation and unemployment among male youths. This produces the high supply of unmarried teenage females who meet the demand for single motherhood generated by restrictive welfare benefits. Male youth joblessness and low incomes increase the relative value of welfare benefits as an alternative female income. The above combination of youth labor market restrictions and the restrictive welfare system with its high regional differentials leads to a failure of the marriage market and to an explosion of out-of-wedlock fertility. The addition of a new preface updates the literature by more than 25 years since the original paper was written and shows the relevance to contemporary debates over welfare reform in Australia, typically a follower-country with respect to welfare policy.

Teen Motherhood and Pregnancy Prototypes: The Role of Social Context in Changing Young African American Mothers’ Risk Images and Contraceptive Expectations

Despite the declining rate of teen pregnancies in the United States, academic and public health experts have expressed concern over the still relatively high rate of rapid repeat pregnancies among adolescents, particularly among minority youth. Using a sample of over 300 African American female adolescents, the current study used insights from the prototype/willingness model of adolescent risk behavior to explore this risk. More specifically, it assessed the relationship between entry into unwed motherhood during mid-to-late adolescence and changes in prototypes of unmarried pregnant teens. Further, it explored the extent to which these changing prototypes accounted for young mothers' later contraceptive expectations. We tested the possibility that social images were affected not only by personal experience (the birth of a child) but also by the family and community context in which this experience took place. The findings show that the early entrance into teen motherhood was associated with a shift toward more favorable prototypes of unwed pregnant teens, but that this was only the case for young mothers in disadvantaged contexts. Given this, prototype changes helped to explain the link between teen motherhood and contraceptive expectations only for those in disadvantaged contexts. We discuss these findings in terms of their practical and theoretical implications.

The Unwillingness of Future U.S. Physicians to Limit Adolescent Prevention Counseling to Abstinence-Only Messages

Objectives Open family planning discussions are essential, though until very recently curtailed in the U.S., yet no study has evaluated future physicians' willingness to curtail their counseling. Design Senior medical students at 16 U.S. schools (n=2316, response rate=80.3%) were surveyed on their agreement with: “I am willing to limit the sexually transmissible disease (STD) prevention counseling I do for unmarried teens to ‘abstinence-only’ messages.” Results Among seniors, <10% agreed to limit their counseling for unmarried teens to “abstinence-only” messages. Male gender, stronger religious identity, and more conservatism were most strongly associated with willingness to limit counseling. Conclusions Most senior U.S. medical students were not willing to limit the STD prevention counseling they provide. As the new U.S. (and other) governments re-evaluate policies, it is wise that they are reconsidering policies that ran counter to the beliefs of its future physician workforce.

Hormonal Contraception for the Adolescent: Table.

1. Nupur Gupta, MD, MPH* 2. Stephanie Corrado, MD* 3. Mark Goldstein, MD* 1. *Division of Adolescent Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Mass After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Discuss the oral contraceptive pill, its contraceptive and noncontraceptive benefits, and its absolute contraindications. 2. Identify the different routes of administration that have been developed, newer formulations of conventional methods, and novel contraceptive agents that are being developed. 3. Describe each of the contraceptive methods, including adverse effects, efficacy, and compliance. 4. Recognize external and internal barriers to use, commonly held misperceptions by adolescents, and the relation of such misperceptions to developmental stages. 5. Explain how to provide effective and acceptable contraceptive services for adolescents. The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world, with more than 750,000 women ages 15 to 19 years old becoming pregnant each year. About 80% of these pregnancies are unintended and occur in unmarried teens. Of these, about 30% end in abortions, 57% in live births, and 14% in miscarriage. In the United States, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) remain the most common form of hormonal contraception for adolescents and reproductive-age women. (Technically, these drugs are dispensed as tablets, but the term “pill” is so closely linked with oral contraception that it will be used in this article.) Although the failure rate of the OCP is 0.3 per 100 women-years with ideal use, typical use failure rates, particularly for adolescents, are much higher (3 to 8/100 women-years). Contraception efficacy for the most common methods used by adolescents (Table 1) indicates the continued need for more effective and nonuser-dependent contraception. | Method | Percent of Women Experiencing an Unintended Pregnancy Within The First Year of Use | Percent of Women Continuing Use at 1 Year3 | |:----------------------------------------:| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | --- | | Typical Use1 | Perfect Use2 | | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | | No method4 | 85 | 85 | | | Spermicides5 | 29 | 18 | 42 | | Withdrawal | 27 | 4 | 43 | | Condom6 | | | | | Female | 21 | 5 | 49 | | Male | 15 | 2 | 53 | | Combined pill and minipill | 8 | 0.3 | 68 | | Combined hormonal patch | 8 | 0.3 | 68 | | Combined hormonal ring | 8 | 0.3 | 68 | | Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) | 3 | 0.3 | 56 | | Combined injectable7 | 3 | 0.05 | 56 | | Intrauterine device | | | | | Copper T | 0.8 | 0.6 | 78 | | Levonorgestrel intrauterine system | 0.2 | 0.2 | 80 | | Levonorgestrel implants | 0.05 | 0.05 | 84 | | Female sterilization | 0.5 | 0.5 | 100 | | Male sterilization | 0.15 | 0.10 | 100 | * Emergency contraceptive pills: Treatment initiated within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse reduces the risk of pregnancy by at least 75%. * ↵1 Among typical United States couples who initiate use of a method (not necessarily for the first time), the percentage who experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year if they do …

Helping Nonresidential Fathers: The Case for Teen and Adult Unmarried Fathers

Nonresidential fathers, particularly those who are unmarried teens and unmarried adults, are often neglected in social work practice in the United States. This article examines their changing demographics and describes several policies and programs that have been successful in assisting them in becoming more involved in their children's lives. The literature is still very limited about who they are, what they need, and how we can help them. Yet, what is known suggests that relatively large numbers want to be or are attempting to be involved with their children. Timing is important in helping them establish their paternity and become active at their child's birth or before. The article calls for social workers to make a greater commitment to these unmarried nonresidential fathers in very specific ways.

Mortality Among Twins Born to Unmarried Teenagers in the United States

The objective of this study is to determine the association between unmarried status and infant mortality among twins born to teenagers. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on twin live births to teenagers in the United States from 1995 through 1998 using the Vital Records assembled by the National Center for Health Statistics. We compared mortality estimates among twins of single to those of married mothers using the generalized estimating equation framework, which also adjusted for intracluster correlations. Analysis involved 28592 individual twins of teenager mothers, with both cluster members being live-born. Out of these, 21.8% (n = 6238) were born to married and 78.2% (n = 22,354) to single mothers. Infant and postneonatal mortality was 17% and 36% higher among twins of single teenager mothers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-1.40) and (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.01-1.87), respectively. However, neonatal mortality was comparable (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.92-1.34). Twins of single mothers were also more likely to be of low birth weight, very low birth weight, preterm and very preterm (p < 0.0001) but had the same risk level for smallness for gestational age as compared to twins of married teenagers. Single motherhood was associated with increased infant mortality among twins born to teenagers. The critical time of elevated risk was the postneonatal period and the survival disadvantage of twins of single mothers was as a result of the higher-than-expected level of preterm rather than small for gestational age births. These findings have potential clinical and public health relevance.

Unintended Pregnancy among Unmarried Adolescents and Young Women in Anambra State, South East Nigeria

This study identified the characteristics and factors influencing unintended pregnancy among unmarried young women in a rural community in south-east Nigeria. One hundred and thirty six unmarried teens with unintended pregnancy attending a Christian hospital in Ozubulu, a rural community in south-east Nigeria, from January 1998 to December 2001 were included in the study. Information was obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview. Over 75% of the girls had their first sexual intercourse by 19 years, and over 69% had multiple partners. Over 95% had sex for economic reasons and exchanged sex for money or gifts. Only 13.5% ever used condoms. Ninety seven per cent suffered violence such as beating and verbal abuse from family members because of the pregnancy. Most of the adolescents or young women experienced major stressors, most importantly school and job termination, partner's negative attitude, religious sanction, discrimination and stigmatisation as a result of the unintended pregnancy. Unmarried pregnant adolescents or young women have particular health and psychosocial problems. Stakeholders in adolescent health, namely, parents, teachers, religious groups and health care providers, should recognise these problems and advocate for the provision of appropriate care and youth-friendly services to help youths navigate through these problems.