Pregnant teens: girls in South Africa need focused, supportive healthcare and more information about safe sex
From The Conversation:
An estimated 12 million teenage pregnancies are reported globally every year.
Girls and young women in this age group face multiple risk factors that contribute to early pregnancies. These include a lack of access to comprehensive sexual education, socioeconomic inequality, cultural norms, and limited availability of contraceptives. They’re also less likely than older women to get prenatal care, and more likely to experience stigma and discrimination in healthcare facilities if they do seek care.
All of these factors can complicate both pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal health complications are among the leading causes of death for adolescent girls worldwide.
The good news is that teenage pregnancies have declined in some parts of the world. However, they remain high in South Africa, especially in the country’s rural and low-income areas.