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Teenage pregnancy in the Bahamas: Trends and characteristics
– Reported, January 23, 2013
Within the past few years, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has become increasingly concerned about the number of teenage pregnancies that have been occurring there.
The concern has primarily come from those persons who work with pregnant teenagers, such as school officials, clinic personnel, and social workers, who have noticed rising numbers of pregnant teenagers. The existence of teenage births is not always viewed as a problem. In some (especially rural) societies, early marriages are the rule, with childbearing starting soon thereafter. The fact that the Bahamas is increasingly concerned about teenage pregnancy may reflect not only the fact of increased numbers, but also that the nation is increasingly becoming, or at least perceiving itself as, an urban, Western nation rather than a developing nation. Most urbanized nations consider births to teenage women, particularly to those who are under 18 years and/or unmarried, a significant problem. There are reasons for this concern, in addition to any health problems that may be created. In a society where education is crucial for employment, pregnancy before the end of high school often means the end of, or at least delaying of, high school education. However, one must distinguish cause and effect here. To some extent, the association of childbearing and the termination of schooling may be indirect.
Educationally, vocational training programs geared to the employment needs of the Bahamas would give many teenagers a more realistic approach to education. This might include training or retraining programs for high school graduates, as well as high school completion/equivalency training. Family life education might give the teens a more realistic view of the complex needs of a child and a family and help them to understand that it is in the interest of future babies, as well as their own lives, to delay childbearing. Life skills training might help teens better to enter the mainstream of adult life and to approach society and their own lives maturely. In terms of the health of the teens and their babies, good prenatal care is essential. This should include social work support services to help them adjust to a wide range of new problems. It should also include strong support for accessible family planning services, so that those teenagers who do not wish to bear children need neither do so nor resort to abortions.
CREDITS:
SUSAN ROBERTS-SMITH, M.S.W.,a DAVID F. ALLEN, M.D., M.P.H.,b AND JAMES F. JEKEL, M.D., M.P.H.c
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
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