More than 1/3 of young people lack access to contraception

In Vietnam, the rate of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions remains high among young women.

Information at the announcement ceremony of the State of World Population Report 2013, announced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on November 4 in Hanoi, said: Teenage pregnancy, or motherhood while still young, is a major problem globally, especially in developing countries, where every year 7.3 million girls give birth before turning 18.

Of these 7.3 million births, about 2 million were to mothers under the age of 14, the report said. Immature mothers face serious and long-lasting health and social consequences from early pregnancy.

The rate of teenage childbearing among ethnic minorities is still high (Illustration photo)

“Too often, society blames girls when they get pregnant. But the reality is that teenage pregnancies are not about wanting them, but about having no choice and in circumstances beyond their control. This is a result of limited or no access to education, employment, information and quality health care,” said Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA Executive Director.

According to the report, teenage pregnancy damages girls’ health, education and rights; it makes them unaware of potential risks and has a negative impact on the child they give birth to. Not only do mothers and babies suffer the consequences of teenage pregnancy, but it also has a devastating impact on the economy of communities and countries, with economic productivity lost as teenage mothers drop out of school and work to have children.

In Vietnam, national data on unmet need for contraceptives among 15-19 year olds is 35.4% and among 20-24 year olds is 34.6%. In 2011, the birth rate among adolescents was 46 per 1,000. This rate is higher among groups with low education levels, low living standards, ethnic minorities, groups living in the Northern midlands and mountainous areas and rural areas.

Although Vietnam has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality and increasing access to reproductive health care and family planning over the past decades, more than one-third of young Vietnamese still lack access to the contraceptives they need. This has resulted in high rates of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions among young women, especially those who are unmarried./.

According to VOV.VN