Young women exposed to pregnancy experience greater likelihood of childbirth- related morbidity and mortality, with some countries experiencing mortality rates among women aged 15 - 19 that are as high as twice that of women in their 20s or 30s (WHO, 1989). Physiological under-development increases the likelihood of prolonged or obstructed labor, which may lead to ruptured uterus and death for the mother or fetus (Network, 1994). Negative pregnancy outcomes also result in part from poor prenatal health behavior among young adults, particularly teenage schoolgirls. In a study of longitudinal data from the Sahelian cities of Bamako and Bobo-Dioulasso, researchers found that teenage schoolgirls are significantly less likely to seek prenatal.
