Laos sees high rate of teenage pregnancy

Laos sees high rate of teenage pregnancy

Laos is suffering from a high rate of teenage pregnancy, with four out of ten women pregnant or already having given birth to their first child by the age of 19, according to a press release from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

In Laos more than 60 percent of the population is under 25 years old, and at least half of this group at girls. The UNFPA press release focused, in particular, on the high prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Laos. A recent survey in the country found that for every thousand adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 in Laos, there are at least 94 births annually.

“Teenage pregnancy is not just a health issue,” said UNFPA Representative Dr Esther Muia speaking at an event commemorating Thursday’s World Population Day. “It is a social ill, and it is a development concern. It is deeply rooted in poverty, gender inequality, violence, child and forced marriage, power imbalances between adolescent girls and their male partners, and lack of education.”

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