Pregnancy leading killer of girls in the developing world
10th July 2012
Share This Article:
Teenage pregnancy is a controversial enough topic in Britain and the West alone. 'Who is the father?' 'How could this happen?' 'They’re both too young.' 'What about their education?' Many questions are asked from all angles, but those questions are rarely about death of the teenage girl during the process.
When we think about the developing world and the leading causes of death in the poorest countries it’s easy to think that it’s maybe something to do with starvation or dehydration or even insect bites; things that are devastatingly easy to treat in the UK. However for teenage girls in some of the most poverty-stricken countries it seems that pregnancy is actually the leading killer.
The news comes at the time of the family planning world group meeting in London to demand that we give 120 million women from the world’s poorest countries access to contraception. Many people in the developing world do not know about contraception, let alone have access to it, and this undoubtedly should change.
However, I would ask if anyone truly believes that lack of contraception is the sole cause of the problem?
Obviously poorer countries have poorer healthcare which means that women who fall pregnant, at any age, are at an increased risk of death or permanent problems to begin with. Then, of course, we must take into consideration rape, to which the introduction of contraception may make little impact.

- Article continues below...
- More stories you may like...
- Calories: The importance of self-control
- I wanted to kill myself aged 11, and this is what I have to say to Theresa May
- Sexism in the media must be addressed
You might also like...
People who read this also read...
TRENDING
TRENDING CHANNELS
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH