Teen pregnancies highest in Nagapattinam, finds DPH study

CHENNAI: Since 2019-20, the rate of teenage pregnancy has increased from 1.1% to 1.5% in 2023-24, a study by Tamil Nadu Journal of Public Health and Medical Research revealed.

The study used data from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) portal. More than 49.93 lakh records of antenatal mothers in the HMIS portal were retrieved from April 2019 to March 2024, and 62,870 teenagers were identified with the cumulative teenage pregnancy rate of 1.3%.

The rates of teenage pregnancy over the years are 1.1% (2019-20), 1.3% (2020-21), 1.3% (2021-22), 1.1% (2022-23) and 1.5% (2023-24).

The data revealed that Nagapattinam was at 3.3% followed by Theni at 2.4% and Perambalur at 2.3%.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the trends in teenage pregnancy in TN.

Salem and Madurai have a teenage pregnancy prevalence of over 3,000, while Kancheepuram, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Nagercoil, and Chennai report less than 1,000.

The National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-06) for Tamil Nadu recorded teenage pregnancy at 8% in the State, which decreased to 5% in NFHS-4 in 2015-16 and slightly increased to 6.3% in NFHS-5 in 2019-20.

The study authored by Vijaykumar R and Nirmalson J stated, “Most common causes of teenage pregnancy in India are early marriage, community and social pressure to marry, sexual abuse, violence, lack of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights, lack of education or school drop-out, and low socioeconomic status.”

The authors also pointed out that the prevalence rate in TN has underscored the need for continued monitoring and evidence-based policies and interventions to address it. “Targeted interventions should be implemented to educate teenagers about sexual and reproductive health, contraception, and the potential consequences of early pregnancy in school or out-of-school settings. It is necessary to provide access to affordable and reliable contraceptive methods to ensure that teenagers have the means to make informed choices and prevent unintended pregnancies,” the study stated.

While the existing interventions such as Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) Program, Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY), Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHC) and numerous awareness campaigns have made significant strides, “there is a need for greater emphasis on behavioural change communication, school-based sex education and community participation”.