title: Reproductive and obstetric characteristics of adolescent pregnancies in Turkish women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate reproductive and obstetric characteristics of adolescent pregnancies in Turkish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Social Security Agency (SSK) Aegean Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Hospital (tertiary referral center).
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and eight hundred adolescent pregnant women who referred to our center, between January 12, 2002 and March 15, 2003. The adolescent age group was defined as young women between the ages of 13 and 19.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Socio-demographic characteristics, contraceptive histories, sexually transmitted infections (STI), and obstetric outcomes of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 17.3 (range 13-19) years. Among all adolescent pregnancies 1368 (76%) cases were planned, and 1512 (84%) cases were married. Approximately 70% of the patients with a non-planned pregnancy were not using any contraceptive methods. Although there were no patients with HIV infection, there were a considerable percentage of patients with positive cervical screening tests for Human Papilloma Virus (8.05%). A majority of adolescent mothers (77%) lacked prenatal care; mean gestational week at the first prenatal visit of the patients taking prenatal care was 28.2 (range 6-39) weeks. There were 249 (13.83%) abortions. Mean gestational age at delivery was 36 +/- 2 (range 25-41) weeks. The most common obstetric complication was low birth weight (28.72%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescent pregnancy rate in Turkey is similar to those in developed countries. However, there are considerable differences which possible reflect ethnic and socio-cultural differences, in between two populations. Our major problems seem to be the low rate of previous effective contraceptive use for unintended adolescent pregnant women and the high rate of inadequate prenatal care for adolescent pregnant women, even if their pregnancies are intended.
authors.affiliation: SSK (Social Security Agency), Aegean Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Izmir, Turkey. Ykuzeyli@mynet.com
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: M Murat
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Inal
authors.forename: Sivekar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tinar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology