by Eric Blair |
Teenage pregnancy is something that is frowned at in most societies today although it is normal in a few societies. The morals behind it being normal and accepted in a society would be a topic of discussion saved for another day however now - we focus on the countries with the highest number of teenage childbirths in the world.
The teenage years are when most people shape their future and decide on what they what to become in life. Although this may change in the future, the bulk of our learning in life is done within our teenage years, a period where skills are acquired and careers that take decades to build all start-up. Here, we list the countries with the highest number of teenage childbirths in the world.
Many parents do not want teenage pregnancy for their children and they try their best to ensure that their kids abstain from sexual intercourse throughout their teenage years and some warn their children on the risks of unprotected sex teaching them to abstain from the act or at worst case, make use of protection. The latter is the right advice as sex education is important because a parent cannot completely monitor the activities of their children. Regardless, some will always slip through the cracks and in no time, get pregnant.
This list is based on the rate of pregnancy per one thousand women in a country aged between 15 to19. So here we go.
Many parents do not want teenage pregnancy for their children and they try their best to ensure that their kids abstain from sexual intercourse throughout their teenage years and some warn their children on the risks of unprotected sex teaching them to abstain from the act or at worst case, make use of protection. The latter is the right advice as sex education is important because a parent cannot completely monitor the activities of their children. Regardless, some will always slip through the cracks and in no time, get pregnant.
This list is based on the rate of pregnancy per one thousand women in a country aged between 15 to19. So here we go.
Country
|
Births/1000 women
|
1. Niger
|
204
|
2. Mali
|
175
|
3. Angola
|
167
|
4. Mozambique
|
143
|
5. Guinea
|
142
|
6. Chad
|
137
|
7. Malawi
|
137
|
8. Cote d'Ivoire
|
135
|
9. Congo, Dem. Rep.
|
123
|
10. Sierra Leone
|
120
|
11. Tanzania
|
119
|
12. Congo, Rep.
|
119
|
13. Madagascar
|
117
|
14. Uganda
|
115
|
15. Gambia, The
|
114
|
16. Nigeria
|
112
|
17. Liberia
|
111
|
18. Zimbabwe
|
110
|
19. Burkina Faso
|
110
|
20. Equatorial Guinea
|
110
|
[Source: World Bank]
There you have it, the top 20 countries in the world with the highest number of teenage births. An important observation shows that all the countries on the list are within the African continent. Public perception in many African countries for instance in Nigeria, is that teenagers in the western world are more susceptible to get pregnant during teenage years in the western world however, this list proves that such public perception has no basis besides what is seen in Hollywood movies. It is easy to find many who are against the western culture basing their assumptions on false information that imply that teenage women in the western countries give birth early but the reverse is the case as we can see here.
​Furthermore, the countries topping the list are also highly impoverished compared to the western countries. Poverty increases the level of illiteracy in a society as most people worry about basic needs like food and shelter rather than education. As a result, teenagers in these areas a less educated which increase the chances of teenage pregnancy as many do not know the consequences involved in the act without protection.
Educational institutes and the governments of these nations need to combine their efforts to ensure that the public are educated on sex earlier on in their lives. Furthermore, parents should take a more transparent approach when it comes to teaching their children on the issues of sex and its implications earlier on. Many parents especially in developing nations still treat their teenage kids like toddlers making them believe that even as parents, they do not have sex and that babies come from heaven. With such teachings, news of teenage pregnancy should not come as a surprise but rather an expectation. So abstain from unprotected sex and remember there are other things worse than pregnancy you could contract from unprotected sex. Please leave your comments below. Cheers.
​Furthermore, the countries topping the list are also highly impoverished compared to the western countries. Poverty increases the level of illiteracy in a society as most people worry about basic needs like food and shelter rather than education. As a result, teenagers in these areas a less educated which increase the chances of teenage pregnancy as many do not know the consequences involved in the act without protection.
Educational institutes and the governments of these nations need to combine their efforts to ensure that the public are educated on sex earlier on in their lives. Furthermore, parents should take a more transparent approach when it comes to teaching their children on the issues of sex and its implications earlier on. Many parents especially in developing nations still treat their teenage kids like toddlers making them believe that even as parents, they do not have sex and that babies come from heaven. With such teachings, news of teenage pregnancy should not come as a surprise but rather an expectation. So abstain from unprotected sex and remember there are other things worse than pregnancy you could contract from unprotected sex. Please leave your comments below. Cheers.
AROUND THE WEBSITE
How much will it cost to end hunger in the world
The seven largest beverage companies in the world
This is why you always get broke
Only indecent ladies go out at night?
The perception of superiority - Racism
The seven largest beverage companies in the world
This is why you always get broke
Only indecent ladies go out at night?
The perception of superiority - Racism