Design or accident? The natural history of teenage pregnancy

The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe. A retrospective record-based study was conducted in an East Devon general practice to gain greater understanding of the outcome of first teenage pregnancy and subsequent reproductive history. The comparison group was women who had first conceived between the ages of 25 and 29 years. 149/673 women born between 1968 and 1977 became pregnant when teenagers. Of these, 70 (47%) had the baby, 67 (45%) had a termination and 10 (7%) had a spontaneous miscarriage; 2 others experienced fetal loss. Of the women aged 25-29 at first conception, 127 (92%) had the baby, 6 (4%) had a termination and 5 (4%) had a miscarriage. 40 (27%) of the teenage group went on to have a second teenage pregnancy, including 12 of the 67 who had their first pregnancy terminated. Although teenage pregnancy is often viewed as unplanned and unwanted, the reality is more complex. Among this group, many first pregnancies were desired. Even among those whose first pregnancy was terminated, 18% went on to have a baby while still a teenager.