Has early initiation of sexual activity in adolescence had an impact on teenage childbearing in Trinidad and Tobago?

Int J Adolesc Med Health

University of the West Indies, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Public Health & Primary Care Unit, EWMSC, Mt Hope, Trinidad.

Published: February 2009

AI Article Synopsis

Article Abstract

Unlabelled: Published data indicate that young people are initiating sexual activity at an early age and many do not practice contraceptive methods, which should impact on adolescent fertility and births.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of sexual activity at an early age on adolescent childbearing in Trinidad and Tobago.

Study Group: Adolescents age 15-19 years.

Methods: All maternity records from public health care institutions (primary and tertiary) under the Ministry of Health caring for women in pregnancy were reviewed. Maternal age at the time of birth in addition to several other variables were recorded and several indices were constructed to determine trends in adolescent fertility and births.

Results: There was a steady decline in adolescent births especially from 1981 to 1990. reduced by approximately 50%. Adolescent fertility rates and the number of adolescents attending prenatal primary care clinics during the same period showed similar trends.

Conclusions: Analysis of adolescent fertility rate would suggest that initiating sexual activity at an early age together with low utilization of contraceptive practices should lead to its increases over time. However we found that there was both a decline in fertility rates as well as adolescent births.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ijamh.2008.20.3.255DOI Listing

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