There is a shoulder to lean on through heart-wrenching times.
Data on teenage pregnancies compiled by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Non-government Organisations specialising in health care, all agree that there is an alarming growth in the number of pregnancies among teenagers in Thailand's schools.
The National Institute for Child and Family Development at Mahidol University has revealed that the number of teenage pregnancies in the 15-19 age category in Thailand is much higher than figures from around the world presented by the World Health Organisation (WHO). For every 1,000 females in that age group, 70 become pregnant in Thailand as opposed to 65 which is the global average.
Thailand's average is considered very high and is in fact the highest in the Asean region.
This has prompted many agencies to focus on education as a preventive measure, be it sex education or birth control methods.
However authorities appear to have failed to address a key aspect of teenage pregnancy and that is the problems that arise during the pre- and post-natal period - namely after a teenager conceives.
There isn't much said on this because it's a taboo subject.
There isn't much said on this because it's a taboo subject.
This has seen many teenagers resort to illegal abortion clinics as a last resort. Abortions in these places are risky since they can be life-threatening and could possibly result in a girl being unable to conceive again or possibly die. Add to the list the traumatic and emotional distress which feeds ones guilt, these teens are often left scarred for life.
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