141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

283845
Teen pregnancy rates vary across countries

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM

Gilda Sedgh, ScD , Research, Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY
Lawrence B. Finer, PhD , Research, Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY
Akinrinola Bankole, PhD , Research, Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY
Susheela Singh, PhD , Research, Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY
Michelle Eilers, B.A. , Research, Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY
Teen pregnancies, many of which are unintended, often have negative effects on the social and economic prospects of young women. In many developing countries, early pregnancy and childbearing can also pose major health risks for adolescent girls. A prior assessment of teen pregnancy rates in developed countries demonstrated a wide variation across countries and a trend toward lower rates during the period 1980–1995. We are estimating current pregnancy rates to females 15–19 years old for all developed and developing countries for which the necessary information is available. Key data sources are official statistics and nationally representative surveys of women on abortions obtained by women 15-19; live birth and population estimates from the United Nations Statistics Division and national demographic and statistical agencies; and a model-based methodology for estimating spontaneous abortion incidence on the basis of known numbers of births and induced abortions. We will estimate teen pregnancy rates and proportions of pregnancies that end in abortion in approximately 35 countries. This study will permit countries to compare their progress (or lack thereof) to that of others, and provide evidence that policymakers and program implementers can use to develop better youth-serving programs and policies.

Learning Areas:
Program planning
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare teen pregnancy rates, and the proportion of pregnancies that end in abortion, across developed and developing countries. Compare teen pregnancy rates to overall rates across countries. Discuss the implications of teen pregnancies.

Keywords: Adolescents, International, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I the principal investigator of this study and the first author of the planned paper on which this presentation is based. I have several years' experience in documenting and estimating incidence of abortion and pregnancy across age groups, countries, and regions of the world.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.