Adolescent Pregnancy: A Public Health Problem Part II

Subsequent adolescent pregnancy is pregnancy that occurs after an abortion, childbirth or cesarean section within one to two years. A short “inter-gestational period” (which is the time that passes between pregnancies) can have negative effects on the health of pregnant mothers, especially if they are adolescents.

We invite you to read the first part of this article in Teenage pregnancy: a public health problem Part I.

In the world, it is common for adolescents to become pregnant again after childbirth or abortion; in fact, some academics claim that a quarter of teenage pregnancies are subsequent pregnancies. It has even been found that the probability of this type of pregnancy increases when there are stable unions with an older partner; weak economic and affective support from the father of the baby in the family, which forces the adolescent to seek alternatives for her survival and that of her child, including the search for new relationships or subjection to situations of commercial sexual exploitation; lack of information on contraceptive methods and a failure to return to school in the first six months after dropping out.

Summary of proximal and distal determinants of adolescent pregnancy 2005

What can be done to prevent it?

Preventing subsequent pregnancy requires a common effort between the State and society. The education sector, for example, has the mission to guarantee the right to sex education and the health sector has the commitment to ensure continuous follow-up of adolescents who have had abortions or childbirth, in order to ensure adequate use of contraceptive methods.

It is also essential that both institutions and civil society understand that children and adolescents are key actors in development and that sexually active adolescents need access to family contraception methods and knowledge of safe sexual practices.

Here are some recommendations to avoid subsequent pregnancy in adolescents:

• Prevent child marriage, violence and sexual coercion.

• Involve boys and men in sex education, contraceptive methods and family planning.

• Guarantee the existence of mechanisms for the effective participation of adolescents and young people in public debate, in decision-making and in all stages of policies and programs.

• Eliminate unsafe abortion through comprehensive sexuality education.

• Ensure timely and confidential access to information, counseling, technologies and quality services, including non-prescription emergency oral contraception and male and female condoms.

• In the immediate postpartum period, a contraceptive method should already be available for the girl or adolescent (such as intrauterine devices, extended-release implants or injectables).