| Abstract: | While the best data at present indicate that adolescent fertility is declining in the developing world, it is still very high relative to the developed world. Access by teenage women to family planning information does not seem to be restricted (except in the cases of abortion and sterilization), if only because much of adolescent fertility takes place in marriages or other sanctioned unions, nor is there much evidence that they are proportionally underrepresented as family planning acceptors. However, services are rarely designed to meet the special needs of young clients. The health and social consequences of adolescent childbearing are a major cause of concern. High maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality have been documented, and U.S. studies show that teenage mothers suffer education and income deficits. Future trends toward urbanization seem likely to exacerbate these problems, and the large number of people entering adolescence in the developing world could have a major demographic effect. In the U.S., recognition of the need for special services to teenagers only became a high priority when teenage fertility had reached 20% of total births. It appears that reassessment of the low priority now being given to adolescent fertility in the developing countries is in order. |
