Adolescent pregnancy is an important health issue for young girls. In South Asia, one out of every five adolescent girls becomes a mother before turning 18, and in India, around 9% of girls aged 15-19 get pregnant yearly.

This study focused on understanding the factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in Maharashtra, India, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The team collected data from both urban and rural areas in the state of Maharashtra. A total of 3049 adolescent girls participated in the quantitative survey, and seven girls participated in in-depth interviews.

The findings reveal that girls from low socioeconomic backgrounds face a higher likelihood of adolescent pregnancy. Factors like older age, being married, having multiple sexual partners, and experiencing economic difficulties due to COVID-19 increased the chances of adolescent pregnancy. On the other hand, living in rural areas, higher education for both the girls and their mothers reduced the likelihood of adolescent pregnancy. Qualitative analysis revealed that economic challenges, concerns about safety and societal norms, early marriage, societal expectations, and lack of knowledge about contraceptives could contribute to adolescent pregnancy in Maharashtra. 

You can read and download the full article as an open-access document at the publishers website.

The research article draws on data from the project "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Child Marriage, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Domestic Violence in India and Zambia" and was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).