Document Type
Case Report
Department
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan
Abstract
Early motherhood not only causes poor health outcomes, but often also deprives adolescent girls of educational, social, and economic development opportunities for the rest of their lives. Evidence suggests that although the burden of adolescent pregnancies is less in Pakistan than in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal, the pregnancy outcomes continue to be devastating in this country. This paper discusses the social barriers in addressing this issue in Pakistan and proposes recommendations for targeted interventions to reduce the high birth rate amongst adolescents in the country. The role of midwives asfrontlinegatekeepers can be pivotal for prevention ofteenagedpregnancies in Pakistan. Unfortunately, the existing midwifery workforce is not very well prepared to deal with adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) issues.
Recommended Citation
Mubeen, K, & Baig, M. Adolescent pregnancies: The case of Pakistan. Journal of Asian Midwives. 2016;3(2):69–78.
