Say no to adolescent pregnancy
Stethoscope Desk
Adolescent pregnancy- outcome of early marriage- is a problem in both developed and developing countries. Pregnancy in adolescence has an increased risk of developing both maternal and foetal complications. In Bangladesh, early pregnancy exposes mothers to acute health risk during pregnancy and child birth. It is now established that early marriage and pregnancy is a social curse, a public health concern.
In poverty and ignorance stricken communities young girls, as young as 15, sometimes even 13 or 14, are given to marriage by their poor fathers. These guardians and other male members in the family and elders in the community are totally ignorant of to consequences of early marriage and early child bearing.
Reliable statistics has established that in Bangladesh about 25 per cent of the population is adolescents and about 65 per cent of all women get married before they attain the legal age of marriage, that is, 18 years. It is also established that around 30 per cent of the adolescents aged between 15-19 years become pregnant as soon as they get married. The incidence of adolescent pregnancy is found more pervasively among poor and less educated girls and those mostly living in rural areas and to large extent in urban slums.
In the global context adolescent pregnancy is a major contributor to maternal and child mortality, and to the vicious cycle of ill-health and poverty.
It is estimated that about 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and two million girls under the age of 15 give birth every year. Worldwide, one in five girls has given birth by the age of 18. In the poorest regions of the worlds this figure rises to over one in three girls.
Almost all adolescent births about 95 per cent occur in low and middle-income countries. Within countries, adolescent births are more likely to occur among poor, less educated and rural populations.
We now are able to identify the causes of adolescent pregnancy and birth through various local and international surveys and studies. As found, several factors contribute to adolescent births.
In many societies, girls may be under presence to marry and bear children early or they may have limited educational or employment prospects.
In low and middle-income countries, over 30 per cent of girls marry before they are 18 years of age; around 14 percent before the age of 15. Moreover, married adolescents are likely to become pregnant and give birth in accordance with social norms. Education on the other hand, is a major protective factor for early pregnancies: the more years of schooling, the fewer early pregnancies. Birth rates among women with low education are higher than for those with secondary or tertiary education, some adolescents do not know how to avoid becoming pregnant, or are unable to obtain contraceptives.
However, even where
contraceptives are widely available, sexually active adolescents are less likely to use contraceptives than adults. In Latin America, Europe and Asia only 42-68 per cent of adolescents who are married or in partnerships use contraceptives. In Africa the rate ranges from 3-49 per cent.
Recently the subjects of adolescent pregnancy and related socio-economic and health hazards were elaborated upon by a bevy of civil society members, especially by health specialists, health and population researchers from both government and non-governmental sectors, academics and civil society leaders in a roundtable discussion jointly organised by BRAC and The Independent recently.
The title of the roundtable was: Adolescent Pregnancy: Call of Action. It has been said by experts that due to fight the mal-practice of early marriage, priority has to be given to girls education, dissemination of information regarding reproductive health and rights, enforcement of laws to prevent the practice and greater commitment to translate action plans into reality. Adolescent girls have been identified as the most vulnerable group in society.
While talking about turn around of the situation experts said that to delay marriage and pregnancy and practice birth spacing girls should marry at the age of 20 and the first pregnancy and pregnancy interval be deferred accordingly.
It seems all sorts of opportunities are there to find the right strategy to stop early marriage as well as save adolescent marriage and early pregnancy. The call for action, therefore, has to be one infused with greater commitment towards implementing the strategy without further delay.
Stethoscope Desk
