Teenage pregnancy is defined as pregnancy in girls aged 19 years or less. There are a number of factors both social and personal leading to early pregnancy. The major causes of teenage pregnancy include lower educational levels and higher race of poverty. Teenage pregnancy carries a social stigma in many countries but in a developing world where teenage pregnancy is not a social stigma, it is usually within marriage. In some societies, early marriage and traditional gender roles are the main factors for teenage pregnancy. In India it is common in traditional rural communities but in Africa, it is a proof of young woman's fertility. Adolescents may attribute another reason for teenage pregnancy to lack of knowledge to prevent pregnancy. Rape is the major factor for teenage pregnancy under age fifteen. Studies show that eleven to twenty per cent of teenage pregnancies are a direct result of rape.

In industrialized countries like UK, sex with a minor is treated as statutory rapes. But it varies with age such as in UK it is sixteen, in Italy, it is under fourteen and in Spain and Netherlands, it is under twelve.

Teenage pregnancy rates are mainly associated with poverty. Niger and Bangladesh, which are economically poor, have higher number of teen age mothers whereas rich countries like Switzerland and Japan have fewer rates. There is also a discrepancy in the age between the teen-age girl and her partner by twenty years or more. The risk of teenage pregnancy increases for women who have experienced fairly dissension in childhood, domestic violence and abuse, one third of which could be prevented. Fathers leaving their family contribute to a large extent to the cause of teenage pregnancy.

Experts opine that there are four root causes for teenage pregnancy. The first one is lack of information, the second being mixed messages about sex and relationship, third social deprivation and fourth girls' mothers were teenage mothers.

Sex education can reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy effectively, say the experts. Better support for teenage mothers, making them return to education, support and advice and better childcare can reduce levels of teenage pregnancy. Compared to other methods, the approach by Dutch Government has been successful, that is, the curriculum lays stress on values, communication and attitudes, negotiation skills and biological aspects of reproduction. Most pregnant teenagers are subject to nutritional deficiencies and complications in pregnancy result in death.

Teenage pregnancy can affect the education of the concerned woman, since they drop out of school, which in turn affects employment and social status. There is another angle to this menace namely the psychological development of the infant. Such children are deprived of affectionate behaviors like touch, smiling, etc. from their teenage mothers.

Different kinds of prevention programs can be adopted. Some of them are abstinence program to encourage avoiding pre-marriage sexual involvement, knowledge based programs to teach adolescents about their bodies and detailed information on contraceptives. School based clinics provide easier access to information.