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What are the risks and impacts of teenage pregnancy?

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This time, we will talk about what happens when teenage pregnancies occur and why it is necessary to have information about them.

According to the World Health Organization, a pregnancy is considered teenage when it occurs between the ages of 10 and 19. By 2014, the fertility rate in this group was 49 births per thousand women. This is approximately one-tenth of births worldwide.1

Why do teenage pregnancies occur?

Pregnancy in girls and adolescents is a global public health problem, of multifactorial origin, and directly impacts the exercise of human rights, the physical and psychosocial well-being of adolescents, their families, and the development of countries. Work experiences in Mexico suggest three areas of analysis on the causes of teenage pregnancy:2

  1. Immediate causes include sexual violence, forced child marriage and unions, unprotected exercise of sexuality, and aspects related to life plans.
  2. Underlying causes are those that affect the low availability of sexual health services and lack of access to them, which impact the beliefs and practices of the population, and therefore result in unplanned pregnancies.
  3. Structural causes related to public policies, resources allocated to pregnancy prevention education, health, and generating better social conditions that allow life 

What are the consequences of a teenage pregnancy?


According to the World Health Organization, the most common complications are those related to physical health and the social impact they generate. Here, I explain each of them:2

  1. The process of pregnancy and childbirth is the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 15 to 19 worldwide due to complications that could occur if the pregnancy is not attended to or accompanied.2
  2. Adolescents under 15 have significantly higher chances of suffering from conditions such as eclampsia, anemia, postpartum hemorrhage, and puerperal endometritis, unlike adolescents over 15.2 These conditions influence the complications that may exist during pregnancy and childbirth.
  3. Depending on the socioeconomic context of adolescents, there may be economic income limitations, as opportunities to access the labor market and have better economic income are limited, which can lead to future poverty and exclusion conditions due to limited opportunities.2
  4. There is a frequent school dropout in the case of teenage pregnancy, as statistics show that women and pregnant people interrupt or modify their lifestyle when having a child.1
  5. Depression or emotional impacts occur after pregnancy or childbirth in people of all ages; however, it is detected that adolescents may have a higher probability of suffering from an emotional imbalance due to their developmental stage.1
  6. An association has been described between greater psychosocial immaturity and fewer parenting tools, as well as less realistic expectations about child behavior and, therefore, more punitive parenting behaviors or low sensitivity to the care needed by children.1
  7. In Mexico, pregnant adolescents, compared to women over 20 years old, are less likely to have an occupation and health insurance to attend to pregnancy and childbirth.1
  8. Limited access to abortion. Research indicates that girls and adolescents are more likely to delay seeking care, so it is common for them to interrupt pregnancy in later stages and resort to unqualified personnel. Sometimes, they use unsafe methods and postpone seeking medical care in case of complications that are often frequent and severe, including hemorrhages, septicemia, internal organ injuries, tetanus, sterility, and even death.1 Hence, sexual education should also include information about abortion as part of the rights of adolescents and young people.

If teenagers under 18 need to have an abortion, they can access it. According to the current legal framework in Mexico, health services are obligated to provide safe abortion services to girls and adolescents who request them.3 Additionally, Norma Oficial 047 indicates that information should be provided to prevent unplanned pregnancy in the population aged 10 to 19, which includes education and care to learn about pregnancy.4

With this information, I tell you that Telefem is a nonprofit organization that supports your right to decide and connects you with specialists who offer remote medical guidance nationwide. Check the services that include professional care and the Telefem kit with which you can exercise your rights and autonomy, even if you are a minor.

How does this situation affect me if I am no longer a teenager?

As mentioned, teenage pregnancy is a public health problem and, contrary to what many people believe, improving the sexual and reproductive health of the adolescent population favors their school retention, increases their chances of entering the labor market, and improves their economic income levels in adult life, which is reflected in the full development of communities and countries in general.3

That is why at Telefem, you can also count on remote medical guidance. Specialists can provide information if you are going through an unplanned pregnancy. Write to us!

Now that you know the consequences of teenage pregnancy, I invite you to visit us on other blogs, where we continuously publish topics about sexual and reproductive health. 

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 * This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice and applies only to Mexico’s law and context.

References:

  1. IPAS México. Violencia sexual y embarazo infantil en México: Un problema de salud pública y derechos humanos. [Internet]. 2018. [Visit November 2024]. Available at: https://ipasmexico.org/pdf/IpasMx2018-BrochureViolenciaSexualyEmbarazoInfantilenMexico.pdf 
  2. IPAS CAM. Embarazo a Temprana Edad: abordaje social, biológico y emocional. De la teoría a la acción en Salud Sexual y Salud Reproductiva de Adolescentes. Tomo 07. [Internet]. 2021. [Visit November 2024]. Available at: https://ipasmexico.org/pdf/DeLaTeoriaAccionSSyRAdolescentes/IpasCAM2021-Tomo7-Digital.pdf 
  3. IPAS CAM. Salud Sexual y Salud Reproductiva en las y los Adolescentes. De la teoría a la acción en Salud Sexual y Salud Reproductiva de Adolescentes. Tomo 01. [Internet]. 2021. [Visit November 2024]. Available at: https://ipasmexico.org/pdf/DeLaTeoriaAccionSSyRAdolescentes/IpasCAM2021-Tomo1-Digital.pdf 
  4. DOF. GOB. NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-047-SSA2-2015, Para la atención a la salud del Grupo Etario de 10 a 19 años de edad. [Internet]. 2015. [Visit November 2024]. Available at:  https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5403545&fecha=12/08/2015#gsc.tab=0