Contraception in Adolescence: Social Necessity

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a global health problem. The beginning of sexual life at an earlier age has an impact on the increase in sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and the number of single mothers. Each year approximately 2 million adolescents under the age of 15 become pregnant and an estimated 16 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth, 95% of these births occur in developing countries. Adolescent births as a percentage of all births range from around 2% in China to 18% in Latin America and the Caribbean. The global rate of adolescent pregnancy is estimated at 46 births for every 1,000 girls and of the same Thus, the rate for Latin America corresponds to 66.5 births per 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19, ranking second worldwide, only surpassed by Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the second leading cause of death among women 15-19 years of age worldwide.