The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted teenage pregnancy as a reflection of deep-rooted “fundamental inequalities” in society, warning of its serious physical, psychological, and social repercussions for young girls. In a statement released on Wednesday, the WHO underscored that teenage pregnancy remains the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where the problem is most prevalent.
Each year, approximately 21 million adolescent girls become pregnant, with nearly half of these pregnancies being unintended. Shockingly, nine out of ten adolescent births occur among girls who are married before the age of 18. WHO’s Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, Dr. Pascale Allotey, stressed that early pregnancies not only have severe health consequences, such as higher rates of infection, complications, and premature birth, but they also disrupt education and limit future job opportunities.
“Early pregnancies reflect the inequalities that hinder young girls’ ability to shape their own relationships and futures,” Dr. Allotey said. “These pregnancies can lead to lifelong physical and emotional challenges that have far-reaching consequences.”
Teenage pregnancy often traps young mothers in cycles of poverty, with limited opportunities for advancement. WHO advocates for a range of solutions, including better access to education, job opportunities, and financial services, as well as efforts to end child marriage. According to UNICEF, if all girls completed secondary school, child marriage could be reduced by up to two-thirds.
While global progress has been made in reducing teenage pregnancies—down from one in 15 girls in 2001 to one in 25 in 2021—there are still significant disparities. In some countries, nearly one in ten girls aged 15 to 19 still give birth each year. Dr. Sheri Bastien, a Scientist for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health at WHO, emphasized the transformative power of education in preventing early pregnancies and child marriage. She also stressed the importance of boys and girls understanding the concept of consent and challenging gender inequalities that perpetuate these issues.
To support these efforts, WHO has called for comprehensive sexuality education as a critical tool for reducing teenage pregnancies and improving young people’s knowledge about reproductive health and contraception. WHO’s updated guidelines, first issued in 2011, encourage schools and communities to provide adolescents with the information they need to make informed decisions about their bodies and health.
By addressing the root causes of teenage pregnancy, such as gender inequality and lack of access to education, WHO believes significant progress can be made in safeguarding the health and futures of young girls worldwide.