Teenage mothers account for one in every five pregnancies

Dec 21, 2013 News

Annually, one in every five babies born in Guyana, is for adolescent or teenage mothers. This is a social problem in society caused by several factors including poverty, increasing school dropouts, and child abuse, according to Dionne Frank, Assistant Lecturer of the University of Guyana.
She was talking with adolescent/teenage mothers who graduated from the Comprehensive Empowerment Programme, on Thursday, at the Umana Yana.
Frank said that one girl becoming pregnant too early is one too many. However, adolescent/ teenage pregnancy is not always the fault of the girl. Sometimes, the teenager is unable to comprehend the physical changes her body is going through.
Ms. Frank is pleased that Women Across Differences (WAD) with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been able to offer second chances to young mothers. With motivation and training, the young mothers are able to attain an education to make them marketable. In addition, the life’s skills acquired help to boost their self esteem- something that is lost during teenage pregnancies.
Unfortunately, the good work of WAD and UNFPA does not reach all adolescent/teenage mothers because of limited funding. This is not the only disadvantage they encounter. Those below 18 years of age cannot access services and information on sexual reproductive health from health centres without a parent or guardian being present.
According to Patrice La Fleur, Assistant Representative, UNFPA, adolescent/teenage pregnancy is considered a public health challenge. There are many barriers including the problem for young people to access information and services from health centres.
She said this is a legal challenge “…because you cannot go to the health centres without a mother or guardian if you are below the age of 18 even though the legal age of consent for sexual relations is 16 years of age, so there is contradiction there. There are also other social and economic challenges, all of which need to be addressed by our society.”
La Fleur said that the Comprehensive Empowerment Programme was designed in 2007 and launched in 2008. It was designed by UNFPA in the context of the International Conference and Population and Development Programme of Action of 1994 which speaks to adolescent and youth among other population issue.
She said that WAD was identified as a partner based on the work it was doing with UNFPA prior to 2007.
“We felt they had the capacities and competencies to work with adolescent girls who needed special attention, who needed information and services in a safe friendly and enabling environment. In this regard the partnership between WAD and UNFPA grew and the girls who are graduating would join 250 other girls who have completed a programme since the first graduation in 2009,” she said.
According to La Fleur, UNFPA is happy that based on the data presented there is a reduction in unplanned pregnancies among this cohort of young people. All the girls who would have completed the programme did not have a second or third pregnancy and that is certainly an achievement, she said.

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Teenage mothers account for one in every five pregnancies

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