Young People of Asia: What is the Status of Our Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights? Published by ARROW

ISSUES FACED BY YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE REGION

Adolescent Pregnancy

Adolescent pregnancy has been recognized as a significant problem since the Cairo Agenda, which called to “substantially reduce all adolescent pregnancies.”⁴ In South Asia, there have been overall reduction in adolescent birth rate in the past 20 years; the Maldives and Pakistan have experienced the greatest percent change in adolescent birth rate, approximately 85% and 78%, respectively. However, some countries of South Asia are still experiencing high levels of adolescent birth rate. In the countries analysed for this report, Bangladesh observes the highest adolescent birth rate, up to 128 births per 1,000 girls.

South East Asia sees a less degree of reduction in adolescent birth rate, with some countries even showing an increase in recent years, as compared to previous years. Such is the case for the Philippines and Thailand, that both show a small increase in adolescent birth rate. We should be cautious as this may merely be an artefact, as a result of improved reporting systems in these countries. However, it does indicate that there has not been significant decreases in adolescent pregnancy in these countries, as well as Lao PDR and Vietnam.

These country-level rates are also not descriptive of the variances that occur within countries. In Bangladesh and Pakistan, for example, early child-bearing is more prominent in rural areas, as compared to urban areas.⁵,⁶ Socioeconomic status and education completion are also factors correlated with early pregnancy.⁷

The past 20 years have seen vast improvements in reducing adolescent pregnancy; however, these rates are far from ideal.

Table 1: Adolescent birth rate across select countries in Asia.¹⁹
		Adolescent birth rate per 1000 girls 15–19 years old						% change since 1990 (≈ 20 years)
South Asia
	Afghanistan	194	[1993]	146	[2003]	90	[2008]	54%	↓
	Bangladesh	179	[1990]	134	[2000]	128	[2009]	28%	↓
	India	76	[1992]	51	[2000]	39	[2009]	49%	↓
	Maldives	106	[1990]	30	[2000]	16	[2010]	85%	↓
	Nepal	101	[1990]	116	[1999]	81	[2009]	20%	↓
	Pakistan	73	[1992]	33	[2000]	16	[2007]	78%	↓
	Sri Lanka	35	[1991]	31	[2000]	24	[2006]	31%	↓
South East Asia
	Bhutan	120	[1993]	61.7	[2000]	59	[2009]	51%	↓
	Burma
	Cambodia	90	[1993]	52	[2003]	48	[2008]	47%	↓
	Lao PDR	115	[1992]	102	[1997]	110	[2005]	4%	–
	Malaysia	20	[1991]	12	[2000]	15	[2009]	25%	↓
	Phillipines	52	[1991]	55	[2001]	53	[2006]	2%	↑
	Thailand	42	[1990]	33	[2000]	47	[2009]	10%	↑
	Vietnam	38	[1991]	25	[2000]	35	[2009]	8%	–

CASE STUDY:

Pregnancy among Akha teens in Lao PDR