Adolescent mothers will have more children than those who start childbearing later. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the age pattern is somewhat older. In more developed countries, the proportion of young women sexually active before age 18 is above 50 per cent. At least 1 in 10 abortions worldwide occurs among women aged 15 to 19. Unintended pregnancy early in life is usually the consequence of lack of access to information and services, unwanted sexual relations, unprotected sex or ineffective use of contraception.
Unmarried pregnancy is often unintended.
The unmet need for contraception is greater among sexually active young people than that of any other age group. Moreover, respecting their rights to health and education will prepare them for lives as responsible and productive adults. Increasingly, young men are the target of efforts to promote responsible sexual behavior and reproductive health. Services for an ageing population More families can expect to have either elderly relatives or a child in the household. Combined with lower fertility, the effect is to increase the proportion of older people.