“I feared people and feared the doctors because they would probably judge or insult me. So, she (mother) told me no, that should not be the case, and so she offered to take me.”
These were the words of Wanjiru (not her real name), a 17-year-old adolescent mother from an informal settlement in Nairobi. Her story reflects the deep fear and stigma that many pregnant adolescents experience when navigating access to antenatal care services. Her case is typical of a broader problem, where judgmental attitudes from health providers and community stigma discourage young girls from accessing essential antenatal care.
Globally, the maternal mortality rate for pregnant adolescents aged 15-19 years is much higher than that of young women aged 20-24 years. Adolescents also face much higher risks of complications in childbirth, putting both themselves and their babies in danger. In addition, babies born to adolescent mothers are more prone to neonatal conditions, low birth weight, and preterm birth.
