
What is teenage pregnancy in Australia?
Teenage pregnancy in Australia. Teenage pregnancy is a girl between the ages of 13 and 19 becoming pregnant. The term used in every day speech usually refers to girls who have not yet reached legal adulthood, which in Australia is anyone under the age of 18. At the national level, the teenage birth rate has declined in the last decade.
How common is teen pregnancy around the world?
Teen Pregnancy Worldwide 16 million girls ages 15-19 give birth each year Global birthrate among 15-19 year old girls is 49 in 1,000 Complications of pregnancy is the 2nd highest cause of death in 15-19 year old girls 3 million 15-19 year old girls have unsafe abortions every year The U.S. has twice the teen pregnancy rate as Canada
How does Australia’s birth rate for teenage mothers compare internationally?
Internationally, Australia’s birth rate for mothers aged 15–19 was lower than the national Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, according to the most recent OECD report on births to teenage mothers (Figure 3).
How many twins are born in Australia each year?
In 2019, there were 4,501 confinements resulting in a multiple birth. Of these, 4,446 were twins and 55 were triplets and higher order births; Pregnancies in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory had higher proportions of multiple births (each 1.6%) than any other state or territory

How many teens get pregnant each year Australia?
The Australian teenage birth rate is at an historic low — in 2015 at a rate of 11.9 births per 1000 women for 15–19 year olds or 2.8 per cent of overall births in Australia. This converts to 8,574 births to mothers aged 19 years and under, out of a total of 305,377 births during 2015.
What percentage of teenage pregnancy is in Australia?
The number of teenage mothers in Australia has fallen steadily over time, from 11,767 (4.0%) in 2009 to 5,678 (1.9%) in 2019.
What is the current rate of teenage pregnancy 2020?
31 per 1,000 girlsAdolescent birth rates were at 31 per 1,000 girls in 2020, significantly lower than the 47 per 1,000 in the 2017 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), PopCom said, citing a Philippine Statistics Authority report.
How many teenage pregnancy are there a year in the world?
Every year, an estimated 21 million girls aged 15–19 years in developing regions become pregnant and approximately 12 million of them give birth. At least 777,000 births occur to adolescent girls younger than 15 years in developing countries.
How many teenage pregnancies were there in 2019?
The US teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years) has been declining since 1991. Teen birth rates continued to decline from 17.4 per 1,000 females in 2018 to 16.7 per 1,000 females in 2019.
How many babies are born in Australia each year?
Births registered per monthMonthBirths registeredMarch 20227,087February 20225,602January 20224,098December 20218,26429 more rows•Jun 1, 2022
Can a 13 year old give birth?
Even though most teen girls are biologically able to produce healthy babies, whether they do often depends on whether they receive adequate medical care — especially in those critical early months of pregnancy. Teens who receive proper medical care and take care of themselves are more likely to have healthy babies.
What country has the highest teenage pregnancy rate 2020?
In 2020, Bangladesh had the highest number of births per thousand women aged between 15-19, with approximately 82.96 births per thousand adolescent women.
Can a 15 year old get pregnant easily?
A woman can get pregnant if she has vaginal sex with a man at any age after she's begun having regular monthly periods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , in 2017, around 194,000 babies were born to American girls between the ages of 15 to 19.
Which country has the highest teenage pregnancy rate 2021?
These are the five countries with the highest teenage fertility rates: Niger. Niger has both the world's highest teen pregnancy rate and the world's highest child marriage rate. ... Chad. Forty-seven percent of Chad's women have a baby before they turn 18. ... Mozambique. ... Mali. ... Liberia.
What state has the highest teenage pregnancy rate 2021?
Here are the 10 states with the highest teen birth rate:Louisiana (27.8 per 100k)Oklahoma (27.4 per 100k)Alabama (25.6 per 100k)West Virginia (25.2 per 100k)Kentucky (24.9 per 100k)New Mexico (24.4 per 100k)Texas (24 per 100k)Tennessee (23.7 per 100k)More items...
Which country has most teen pregnancy?
The highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world—143 per 1,000 girls aged 15–19 years—is in sub-Saharan Africa. Women in Africa, in general, get married at a much younger age than women elsewhere—leading to earlier pregnancies.
What was the birth rate of teenage women in Australia in 2015?
Birth-rate. In 2015, the birth rate among teenage women in Australia was 11.9 births per 1,000 women. The rate has fallen from 55.5 births per 1,000 women in 1971, probably due to ease of access to effective contraception, rather than any decrease in sexual activity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that the median age to have ...
What is a teen pregnancy?
Teenage pregnancy is a girl between the ages of 13 and 19 becoming pregnant. The term used in every day speech usually refers to girls who have not yet reached legal adulthood, which in Australia is anyone under the age of 18. At the national level, the teenage birth rate has declined in the last decade. The rate was about 16 babies per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years between 2011 and 2012 but this had fallen to 11.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15–19 in 2015, the lowest figure on record. Terminations can be performed up until the 12-week mark. About half of all teenage pregnancies are terminated in Australia.
What are the consequences of being a teenage mother?
A recent study found teenage mothers were more likely to: 1 drop out of school 2 have no or low qualifications 3 be unemployed or low paid 4 live in poor housing conditions 5 suffer from depression, which may result in suicide 6 live on welfare
What are the health risks of a teenage mother?
Teenage mothers have been closely associated with long term health risks, including mental and physical health. Along with these health risks, teenage mothers in Australia commonly experience lack of identity, social issues, low income and poor educational backgrounds.
What are the risks of living in rural areas in Australia?
Other issues come with living in rural areas in Australia including; high rates of teenage smokers and excessive drinkers, as well as lack of employment and in-adequate education. These risks have been linked to increased caesarean and abortion rates among mothers living in rural and remote areas.
What is the fertility rate of Indigenous women in Australia?
There is a national Indigenous fertility rate of 69 per 1000, which is four times the national rate for all teenage women in Australia. The preliminary census estimated that the Indigenous population ...
Why is childbirth important in Australia?
Teenage pregnancy and childbirth is an important adolescent health issue in Australia due to long-term negative psychological outcomes for both mother and child and its association with detrimental physical consequences.
How many antenatal visits are there for teenage girls?
Antenatal outcomes. In terms of antenatal care, teenage girls are less likely to have five or more antenatal visits (90%) than a comparative cohort aged 20–24 years 24 and more often present later for care.
What are the social and health implications of teenage pregnancy?
The social and health implications of teenage pregnancies include increased exposure to domestic violence (which may be exacerbated by the pregnancy), mental health disorders, substance use, sexually transmissible infections (STIs), financial stress and homelessness.
What is the role of a GP in a teen pregnancy?
The GP has a key role in providing supportive continuity of care that spans the antenatal and crucial postnatal periods.
Why are STIs important in pregnancy?
STIs are an important consideration in teenage pregnancies because of the higher incidence of STIs among young women when compared with pregnant women over the age of 25 years. 18,19 While screening for human immunodeficiency virus occurs in all pregnancies, there is no current national guidance for routine chlamydia screening in pregnancy; however, screening those at risk (including those under the age of 30 years) in the first trimester is recommended. 20 Early testing aims to prevent adverse effects such as intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth and stillbirth, 21 whereas retesting during the third trimester (usually defined as week 27–40 of pregnancy) aims to prevent maternal postnatal complications such as endometritis 21 and chlamydia infection in the neonate. Syphilis has had a resurgence in Australia, 22 and in 2017, rates among women were highest in the 15–19-year age group (15.9 per 100,000). 23 There were more than 44 congenital syphilis notifications between 2008 and 2017, and more than half of those were in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Routine testing for syphilis is recommended at the first antenatal contact, with repeat testing recommended between 28 and 32 weeks and at the time of birth for women at high risk of infection or reinfection. In areas affected by the ongoing syphilis outbreak, testing is recommended at the first antenatal visit, at 28 and 36 weeks, at the time of birth and again six weeks after the birth. 22
What are the outcomes of a teenage mother?
Neonatal outcomes. Infants born to teenage mothers are more likely to be preterm, have low birthweight and be small for gestational age. 42 Additionally, there is a strong association between teenage births and increased perinatal mortality, 43 neonatal mortality, 43 child mortality 44 and stillbirth.
How does pregnancy affect adolescents?
For some young women, a pregnancy in adolescence can have a transformative impact on changing unhealthy behaviours and relationships. However, for many, teenage pregnancy is accompanied by adverse perinatal outcomes and long-term social and educational consequences.
What is the fertility rate of a teenager?
Teenage fertility rates. The teenage fertility rate is defined as the number of births per 1000 females aged 15–19 years (rates in girls under the age of 15 years are unstable because of low numbers and are not routinely collected). 2,7 Rates of teenage fatherhood are not collected.
Why are teenage birth rates important?
Teenage motherhood poses significant long-term risks for both mother and child, including poorer health, educational and economic outcomes. Babies born to teenage mothers have an increased risk of pre-term birth, low birthweight and associated complications (Gupta et al. 2008).
Do teenage birth rates vary across population groups?
In 2015, teenage mothers gave births to over 8,000 live-born babies, a rate of about 11 live births per 1,000 females aged 15-19. The teenage birth rate for Indigenous women was about 5.8 times the rate for non-Indigenous teenage women (52 per 1,000 females, compared to 9 per 1,000 females).
Has there been a change over time?
The teenage birth rate has declined slightly in the 10 years to 2015 from around 18 per 1,000 females in 2006 to about 11 per 1,000 in 2015. The Indigenous teenage birth rate has also declined during this period from 70 to 52 per 1,000 females.
How many unintended pregnancy occur in adolescent girls?
Additionally, adolescents may lack the agency or autonomy to ensure the correct and consistent use of a contraceptive method. At least 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year among adolescent girls aged 15-19 years in developing regions. 1. An additional cause of unintended pregnancy is sexual violence, ...
How many girls are pregnant before they are 18?
In many societies, girls are under pressure to marry and bear children early. 11,12,13 In least developed countries, at least 39% of girls marry before they are 18 years of age and 12% before the age of 15. 14 In many places girls choose to become pregnant because they have limited ...
How many girls give birth in a year?
Every year, an estimated 21 million girls aged 15–19 years in developing regions become pregnant and approximately 12 million of them give birth. 1 At least 777,000 births occur to adolescent girls younger than 15 years in developing countries. 2
Where do adolescent pregnancies occur?
Adolescent pregnancies are a global problem occurring in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Around the world, however, adolescent pregnancies are more likely to occur in marginalized communities, commonly driven by poverty and lack of education and employment opportunities. 10
What are the risks of having a baby under 20 years old?
Babies born to mothers under 20 years of age face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm delivery and severe neonatal conditions. 4 In some settings, rapid repeat pregnancy is a concern for young mothers, as it presents further health risks for both the mother and the child. 17.
What are the health consequences of early pregnancy?
Early pregnancies among adolescents have major health consequences for adolescent mothers and their babies. Pregnancy and childbirth complications are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15–19 years globally, with low- and middle-income countries accounting for 99% of global maternal deaths of women aged 15–49 years.
Which country has the highest teen pregnancy rate?
Even though the teen pregnancy rate has declined over the past few decades, the fact of the matter is that the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate of the Western industrialized world.
What percentage of teens believe that they should have access to birth control?
72% of teens surveyed agreed that teens that are sexually active should have access to birth control. 73% of teens surveyed feel that being a virgin should not be embarrassing. 58% of teens surveyed feel that high-school age teens should not be sexually active.
How many teen mothers go on welfare?
50% of teen mother’s go on welfare within the first year. The daughters of teen mothers are 22 percent more likely than their peers to become teen mothers. Sons of teenage mothers have a 13 percent greater chance of ending up in prison as compared to their peers.
How many teenager mothers have a high school diploma?
Only 38% of teen mothers age 15-17 earn a high school diploma. By age 30, only 1.5 percent of women who had pregnancies as a teenager have a college degree. 80 percent of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare. 50% of teen mother’s go on welfare within the first year.
How many 15-19 year olds give birth?
16 million girls ages 15-19 give birth each year. Global birthrate among 15-19 year old girls is 49 in 1,000. Complications of pregnancy is the 2nd highest cause of death in 15-19 year old girls. 3 million 15-19 year old girls have unsafe abortions every year. The U.S. has twice the teen pregnancy rate as Canada.
Why are pregnant teenage girls so special?
Pregnant teenage girls have special health concerns because their own bodies are still growing and developing, and their emotions can be very mixed and fragile. The earlier your pregnant teenage daughter gets antenatal care, the more likely she is to have a healthy pregnancy. Step 1: see your GP.
What does it feel like to be pregnant as a teenager?
Your teenage child’s feelings about pregnancy. Your child is probably going through some intense and mixed feelings about the pregnancy and becoming a parent. If the pregnancy is planned, your child might be looking forward to parenthood. But if the pregnancy isn’t planned, your child might be worried about telling you and finding out how you feel.
What are the services that help pregnant women?
They usually have teams of people to care for young pregnant women – doctors, midwives, social workers, dietitians, counsellors and mental health workers. Birth classes are good for all parents-to-be.
Can a modified timetable help a child?
A modified timetable can help some young parents-to-be. Some secondary schools have child care facilities. When your child’s baby is born, you'll be a grandparent. It might be good to think about what kind of grandparent you want to be and how big a role you want to play in raising your grandchild.
Teen Births
In 2019, the teen birth rate was 16.7 (births for every 1,000 females ages 15-19), down four percent from 2018 and down 73 percent from the 1991 peak of 61.8. There were 171,674 births to females in this age group, which accounted for less than five percent of all births in 2019.
Teen Pregnancies
The national teen pregnancy rates for ages 15-17 and 18-19 (the number of pregnancies per 1,000 females in the specified age group) have declined almost continuously for nearly 30 years.
Who is at Greater Risk of Adolescent Childbearing?
Well-documented individual, family, and community characteristics have been linked to adolescent childbearing.
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Overview
Epidemiology
Pregnant teenagers in Australia have a caesarean section rate of 13.4% compared to 33.4% among women aged over 40.
A third of teenage mothers become pregnant again within two years of their first child which has indicated to be because of poor contraceptive use, according to research published in The Medical Journal of Australia.
Birth-rate
In 2015, the birth rate among teenage women in Australia was 11.9 births per 1,000 women. The rate has fallen from 55.5 births per 1,000 women in 1971, probably due to ease of access to effective contraception, rather than any decrease in sexual activity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that the median age to have a baby in Australia between 2003 and 2013 was 30.8 for mothers, and 32.3 for fathers.
Aboriginal Australians
In Australia, young Indigenous women are more likely to become pregnant while in their teens than non-Indigenous young women. Many factors contribute to this gap, such as unemployment, poverty and educational outcomes. However, there is still very little understanding as to the attitudes of young Indigenous Australian women themselves in regards to pregnancy. There is a national Indigenous fertility rate of 69 per 1000, which is four times the national rate for all teena…
By region
In Australia, pregnancy and childbirth in teenage women are associated with obstetric and social risks, and there is evidence indicating that the birth rate among teenagers in rural and remote areas of Australia is not in decline. Although the number of births to teenage mothers in Australia has fallen in recent years, there is a strong suggestion that such a trend has not been found for teenagers living in remote and economically disadvantaged areas. This finding raises special co…
Effects
Teenage mothers have been closely associated with long term health risks, including mental and physical health. Along with these health risks, teenage mothers in Australia commonly experience lack of identity, social issues, low income and poor educational backgrounds. This often leads to their child(ren) experiencing the same issues throughout life, and may lead to other serious complications.
Causes
While not all teenage pregnancies are unplanned and unintentional, unplanned pregnancies may be associated with the following issues:
• Family situations with regular conflict
• Family violence or sexual abuse during childhood
• Unstable housing arrangements
Controversies
Opinions on teenage pregnancy worldwide often reflect prejudice of one kind or another, and in Australia it is the negative kind. These opinions are sometimes polarized however there is usually no conflict in relation to the strategies of trying to avoid unwanted pregnancies in adolescents. Both arguments towards teenage pregnancy, positive and negative, usually support the practice of healthy sexual activity and encourage young women to grow in knowledge and social skills. Des…