Unmet social needs and teenage pregnancy in Ogbomosho, South-western Nigeria

Background: Consistent high teenage pregnancy rates in South-western Nigeria are characteristically underpinned by the unmet social needs of the teenagers.Objective: To elicit intergenerational views on the influence of unmet social needs on teenage pregnancy. Methods: Through a descriptive and cross-sectional design, a total of 174 respondents who were either pregnant teenagers, teenage mothers during the survey or had been pregnant as teenagers, were interviewed, using questionnaire supplemented with 12 key informant interviews.Results: With the mean age of 16.5 years, and educational status range of between primary and below (25.8%) and tertiary (9.8%) levels, only 39.7% respondents were married, about half (47.7%) remained single while others were separated (12.6%). Less than half (44.9%) of the respondents were engaged in occupational activities. The unmet material and financial supports expected from parents (43.1%), the lack of free education from government up till secondary school level (51.2%), the lack of sex education and knowledge needs for signs of maturity (53.4%) and discouragement from friends not to have boyfriend (66.1%) prone teenagers to unplanned pregnancy.Conclusion: Promotion of sexual education and parental care is encouraged as strategy against unplanned pregnancy among teenagers.Keywords: Unmet needs, pregnancy resolution, teenagers, Nigeri