Teenage girls in developing countries are increasingly using contraception, but they have higher rates of inconsistent use and unintended pregnancy than adults, according to a study published in International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Reuters reports. Lead author Ann Blanc of EngenderHealth and colleagues found that contraception use among women ages 15 to 19 grew significantly since 1986 in many Asian, African and Latin American developing nations. By 2006, about onequarter of young women reported using some form of birth control by age 19.

The contraceptive failure rate was 25% higher among teens than among adults, particularly in nations where the use of traditional methods such as periodic abstinence or withdrawal was common. In Bolivia, the average rate of unintended pregnancy was 19%. The rate was between 10% and 14% in Jordan, Turkey and the Philippines, the study found.

According to the researchers, the young women in the study were more likely to use lesseffective methods of birth control and might be scared or embarrassed to seek more modern contraception. Cost also might be a barrier to contraception, they said. The researchers also noted that as young women in developing countries increasingly delay marriage or opt to have smaller families, the demand for effective birth control methods will increase.

The researchers wrote, “An expanded demand for contraceptive supplies, services and information can be expected to challenge the preparedness, capacity and resources of existing family planning programs and providers,” adding, “This trend of expanded demand is likely to be profound, both for the rising number of female contraceptive users and the publicsector programs charged with providing family planning services” (Reuters, 8/7).

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