In the wave of social development, a strange phenomenon is prone to occur. The rising pregnancy rate among young women raises concern. The poorer and more isolated places are, the more likely they are to marry and have children early; even if they are poor, they will finish their marriages early. Some teenage girls should have studied in bright and spacious classrooms, but influenced by the old-fashioned concepts of their families and elders, they dropped out of school, and get married earlier, and then became pregnant and had children.
This is also a true portrayal of many rural girls in the provincial area in Cambodia. The pregnancy rate of young women has increased by 30% from 2021 to 2011 according to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, which has caused strong concerns in the department.
The report shows that the pregnancy rate among Cambodian women aged 15-19 has increased by 30%. The 15-year-old teenage pregnancy rate was 2%, while the 19-year-old pregnancy rate was 30%.
Kim Ratana, director of the National Maternal and Child Health Center at the Cambodian Ministry of Health, said that pregnancy under the age of 20 carries huge health risks for both mother and baby.
“In remote rural areas, parents require their daughters to marry 10 years earlier,” she said. “When they are not ready to conceive, they become pregnant, and this wrong practice can eventually lead to miscarriage. Pregnancy under the age of 20 can leave a woman’s body Weak, with high odds of giving birth to malnourished babies. Early pregnancy also increases infant mortality, as babies born to unhealthy mothers can lose weight and die.”
She points out that most teenage pregnancies occur in rural areas with less education, so they are expanding awareness campaigns about the risks of teenage marriage and pregnancy. Girls should know that their teenage years are when they’re learning in school, not sitting at home and getting pregnant.
The province with the highest pregnancy rate among young women in Cambodia also reported that teenage pregnancy rates were higher in rural areas than in urban areas.
Stung Treng province has the highest teenage female fertility rate, followed by Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear, Kratie, and Mondulkiri.
“Some people are unaware of the risks of teenage pregnancy, and some even use traditional delivery methods, which endanger the lives of mothers and babies,” said the head of the Stung Treng Health Department. “Most rural teenage girls give up their education when they get married at the age of 14 or 15.” A year later, they had a child and started supporting the family.”
The deputy governor of Preah Vihear said locals follow their family culture and provincial officials cannot force them to stop getting their daughters married and pregnant at 15 or 19. Authorities will ask village chiefs to investigate parents, send health officials to visit and teach, and increase publicity about the risk of teenage pregnancy.
The Deputy Director of International Programs in Cambodia noted that during the pandemic, the number of teenagers who gave up their studies and got married has increased. Early marriage and early childbearing are harmful to health. They are not prepared for pregnancy and lack basic knowledge of contraception and pregnancy. The group will work closely with government officials to address issues such as child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
