Bishkek (KirTAG) — The press service of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic declared that annually 1000-1400 girls aged 13-17 years are registered as pregnant. Up to 85% of these pregnancies lead childbirth, the remaining 15% of cases to abortion.

Girls who mature early are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse at a younger age, which in turn puts them at greater risk of teenage pregnancy. Comprehensive sex education and access to birth control appear to reduce unplanned teenage pregnancy. 19% of women of reproductive age would like to postpone or exclude pregnancy, but do not use any method of contraception.

The rates of early marriage and pregnancy in some Asian countries are high. In recent years, the rates have decreased sharply in Indonesia and Malaysia, although it remains relatively high in the former. However, in the industrialized Asian nations such as South Korea and Singapore, teenage birth rates remain among the lowest in the world.

Pregnant teenagers face many of the same pregnancy related issues as other women. There are, however, additional concerns for those under the age of 15 as they are less likely to be physically developed enough to sustain a healthy pregnancy or to give birth. For girls aged 15–19 risks are associated more with socioeconomic factors than with the biological effects of age. Risks of low birth weight, premature labour, anaemia, and pre-eclampsia are connected to the biological age, being observed in teen births even after controlling for other risk factors (such as accessing prenatal care etc.).