Unwanted births are high-risk births for both mother and child.
Teenage mothers are at a much higher risk of maternal mortality than women in their twenties and early thirties, and the babies of teenagers run a greater risk of being born premature or with low birth weight. The combination of risky sexual activity with, often, a lack of both information and access to services, makes adolescent reproductive health a research priority. The studies, supported by the Programme, that reported on adolescents' sexual and reproductive health in 1996, yielded information on several aspects. Studies in the Republic of Korea, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam revealed, for instance, the extent of adolescent sexual activity in those countries. In particular, the studies showed that a significant proportion of male adolescents are sexually experienced.