Teenage pregnancy in developing countries - a global problem (on the example of the Republic of Benin)

• Setonde Romeo Damien Konnon
• Anna V. Borisova
• Said M. Semyatov
• Zalina M. Sokhova
• Tatevik N. Zulumyan
• Mukhammednazar A. Soyunov
• Khalid Haddad

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a global problem. Approximately 21 million girls aged 15-19 years get pregnant every year in developing countries. At least 10 million pregnancies of them are unwanted, however about 12 million end in childbirth. Especially it's necessary to mention that about 777,000 births in developing countries occur in adolescent girls under the age of 15 years. At the same time, at least 20% of maternal mortality occur in adolescents. In Benin, in the academic year 2018/2019, 1,122 pregnancies were reported among 290,845 schoolgirls aged 10-19 years. This is a direct consequence of the social policies of states that cannot overcome religious dogmas in establishing the marriage age. As a result, 8% of teenage girls under the age of 15 years are married in Benin, and 20% of adolescent girls become mothers. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years old worldwide. Every fifth maternal death in Benin occurs in adolescent girls.

Keywords:teenage pregnancy, birth rate, maternal mortality, contraception, sexuality education, Republic of Benin

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