Adolescent Birth Rate
Adolescent birth rate, per 1,000 women is a Millennium Development Goal indicator used to address the MDG 5: Improving Maternal Health. It can be defined as 'births to women aged 15-19, per 1,000 women'.[1]
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Rationale
The definition of adolescent birth rate, per 1,000 women is an indicator of the burden of fertility on young women. As it is an annual average of births per woman per year, it must be multiplied by five to approximate the number of births to each 1,000 women during the ages of 15-19. Furthermore, this indicator only takes into account live births, and does not address stillbirths or spontaneous or induced abortions, which are important factors of the full spectrum of the burden of teen pregnancies.[2]
Gender Issues
The low social status of women in developing countries limits their access to economic resources and basic education and thus their ability to make decisions related to health and nutrition. Some women are denied access to care when it is needed either because of cultural practices of seclusion or because decision-making is the responsibility of other family members. As teenagers, these variables can be compounded by the fact that pregnancy will most times be an end to a young mothers education, furthering the cycle of a poor education and poverty.[3]
Data
Population Reference Bureau: Women Ages 20-24 Giving Birth by Age 18 (%)
References
- ↑ United Nations. (2010). The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010: Statistical Annex. New York: The United Nations.
- ↑ United Nations Population Fund. (2009). UNFPA- State of the World Population 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from UNFPA: http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2009/en/technotes.shtml
- ↑ The World Bank Group. (2004). Proportion of Births Attended by Skilled Health Personnel. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from The World Bank Group: Millenium Development Goals: http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/GMIS/gdmis.do?siteId=2&contentId=Content_t17&menuId=LNAV01HOME1
See Also
Millenium Development Goals and Women's Health
