Teenage pregnancy: complexities and challenges

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a common public health problem worldwide. It is a problem that affects nearly every society-developed and developing alike. There is a growing awareness that early child bearing has multiple consequences in terms of maternal health, child health and over all well-being of society. Although prevention of unwanted teenage pregnancy should be the primary goal the modern society, many adolescents continue to become pregnant. The purpose of this article is to review current trends and issues on adolescent pregnancy to update the practitioners. The readers are provided with more recent data on adolescent sexuality, contraceptive use, and childbearing as well as suggestions for addressing the challenges of teenage pregnancy.