Teen Pregnancies in Sri Lanka
The LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission) report highlighted teenage pregnancy as a major problem in Sri Lanka.
Over 382,000 teenage pregnancies were reported in Sri Lanka during the year 2012, according to the Family Health Bureau (FHB).Reproductive health information database of FHB of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka indicated that 6.5% of the total pregnancies registered during the year 2010 were teenage pregnancies. The Demographic and Health Survey, Sri Lanka 2006 / 2007 revealed that 6.4% teenagers were bearing children.
According to Sarvodaya Suwasetha Sewa Society Director, Bianca Abeygooneawardena, there is an increase in the number of pregnancies caused by incest relationships. “Most teenage mothers come from unsettle families where the mother is working abroad or are from separated families. Also the attitude of the father plays a focal role,” she added. When the relationship between the father and mother is not strong, the father sometimes turns his attention on the eldest daughter In some cases the father has been sexually abusing the daughter for a long period of time before the mother gets to know the victim seeks for help,” she said.
At the same time the National Committee on Women has evaluated the programs that have been conducted on elimination of under aged pregnancies. According to the evaluations the situation has shown a decrease in places where the programs were launched.
Source : National Committee on Women
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