Teenage Pregnancy

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student purposes.
If you are pregnant and seeking
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The number of births to teenagers has decreased considerably over the last few decades. This decrease is most likely due to the increased availability of contraception and access to abortion, rather than a decrease in sexual activity. Research suggests that knowledge about reproductive matters and access to contraception are necessary to prevent unintended adolescent pregnancy.

It is often assumed that all teenage pregnancies are accidental but this is not always the case. Some teenagers actively plan to become pregnant or don't use contraception, knowing that pregnancy is a real possibility. Planning to get pregnant or being ambivalent about pregnancy may be due to teenagers idealised views of pregnancy and parenting (1).

Some facts and figures

• The teenage fertility rate has significantly decreased over the last three decades (55.5 births per 1 000 women in 1971 compared to 16 births per 1 000 women in 2005 (2).
• In 2005, the fertility rate for indigenous mothers aged 15-19 in Queensland was 67 babies per 1 000 compared to 20.5 per 1 000 in those aged 15-19 in the general Queensland population (3, 4 ).
• Australia's teenage fertility rate is substantially less than the United States of America (51.1 in 1998), England and Wales (26.8 in 2003) and New Zealand (25.6 in 2002) (5, 6, 7).
• In 2003, an estimated 84 218 induced abortions were performed, with women aged 0-19 representing 13 855 (16.5%) of this total number (8). (Accurate statistics on the number of pregnancies terminated are difficult to obtain. Both Medicare data and that from the National Hospital Morbidity database (NHMD) have been combined to provide these estimated figures).

There has also been a dramatic fall in the number of teenagers choosing adoption. Changes in social attitudes towards single parents and illegitimacy and the availability of government assistance have made parenting a more viable option.

Who is at risk of teenage pregnancy?

There are a number of risk factors for teenage pregnancy. They include:

• family situations with regular conflict between members
• violence and sexual abuse in childhood
• unstable housing arrangements
• poor school performance
• poor school attendance
• low socioeconomic background
• family history of teenage pregnancies
• low maternal education
• father's absence
• low self-esteem
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Living in rural and remote areas (9)

Implications for the mother

Teenagers as a group have significantly higher complication rates both during pregnancy and delivery. In teenagers under 15 years of age, these complications can be caused by biological immaturity. In teenagers aged 15 or over the complications are generally associated with poor preconception health and poor antenatal care. For example, during pregnancy women are screened for a number of conditions such as high blood pressure. Screening for these conditions means they can be addressed, limiting their impact. If women are screened late in their pregnancy or not at all, it can lead to complications for both mother and baby.

One of the most important long term implications for teenage mothers is not completing their education. This lack of education can result in long term unemployment or job options that are poorly paid and insecure (10).) Being dependent on welfare or on a poorly paid job can place teenage mothers under greater financial pressure. In addition to the emotional stress that not having enough money brings, a low income often means living in poor housing and being unable to afford adequate health care or even basic necessities.

Teenage mothers may also experience alienation from their peers and family. In addition, a pregnancy can place a great deal of strain on young relationships. Consequently, 60% of young mothers do not have a male partner when their baby is born (11). Loneliness and financial dependence can make teenage mothers vulnerable to becoming involved in unhealthy relationships (eg., domestic violence situation).

Unfortunately, there is also still a stigma in society attached to being a teenage mother. This stigma can affect the way a teenage mother feels about her parenting abilities, motherhood in general and even herself as a person. Negative attitudes towards young mothers can erode their self-esteem and feelings of self-worth.

Teenage mothers have a higher risk of postnatal depression than older women (12). This is most likely due to a number of factors including a lack of support, isolation from peers and/or family, financial pressures and societal attitudes.

Implications for the baby

It is common for teenage mothers to have had poor preconception health, particularly if the pregnancy was unintended. Teenage mothers may have had an inadequate diet (eg., including insufficient folate which prevents some birth defects) or have exposed her unborn child to alcohol, drugs (including prescription medications), tobacco smoke or other hazards like heavy metals or chemicals. In addition, teenage mothers often delay both having their pregnancy confirmed and/or seeking antenatal care. These factors lead to an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, having a baby of low birth weight, birth defects and other complications.

Children born to teenage mothers are more vulnerable to neglect and abuse (13). This is due to a range of factors including poverty, parenting inexperience and being in an unhealthy relationship (eg., domestic violence situation). The children of teenage mothers are also more likely to become teenage parents themselves (14).

Initiatives to support teenage mothers

The recognition of the importance of education for the future prospects of teenage mothers is reflected in Education Queensland’s Pregnant and Parenting Students Policy 1999. This policy is designed to “ensure that aspects of schooling which lead to differential outcomes for pregnant and parenting students are identified and addressed to guarantee that no student in the Queensland state school system is disadvantaged on the basis of pregnancy or parental status”. A booklet containing advice and strategies on the retention of pregnant and parenting young women in education is also available to schools (15).

Some schools have devised special programs that actively support teenage mothers to continue their education. These include Brisbane’s Mable Park State High School and Sydney’s Plumpton High School, which was the subject of an ABC documentary, Plumpton High Babies (16).

There are also a range of community-based organisations that provide support to young mothers.

Teenage mothers and the baby bonus

All new mothers are entitled to a ‘baby bonus’ on the birth of their child, a Federal Government payment designed to contribute towards the cost of having a new baby (17). There have been claims that the baby bonus particularly encourages teenage girls to have children. Statistics of birth rates in Australia, however, do not support this claim. In 2005 (the baby bonus was introduced in July 2004), the number of births registered in Australia increased 2.2% (18). However, births to teenage mothers actually experienced a small decrease of 1% in 2005 (19). The group of women who experienced the biggest increase in births was actually women between 35-39 years of age (20).

There were also concerns that the baby bonus received by young mothers was being spent on non-essential items. This included anecdotal reports of other parties (eg., partners, family of teenage mothers) gaining access to the money for their own use. In 2007, the Government introduced changes to the baby bonus for those under the age of 18. Instead of being paid as a lump sum it is paid in 13 instalments over a period of 6 months (21). Family and Community Services Minister Mal Brough commented that “the younger a person is, the higher the risk of vulnerability and the less their experience with larger sums of money. Because of this increased risk, the Government decided to err on the side of caution and make instalment payments of the baby bonus mandatory for those under 18” (22).

References

For further information sources on this topic see our "Internet resources for assignments" page

This student factsheet is one of a series produced by Women's Health Queensland Wide. They have been developed in response to students' most frequently asked question and reflect a range of topics examined by high school and tertiary students. It has been reviewed by our Editorial Committee. This factsheet is designed for student assignment purposes and, therefore, may not be an appropriate source of information for personal use.

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Last Modified: June 3 2008