Factors influencing unintended pregnancy and abortion among unmarried youth in Vietnam: a literature review

Abstract

Unintended pregnancy and abortion among unmarried youths are public health issues in Vietnam. This review aims to analyse factors influencing unintended pregnancy and abortion among unmarried youths using published and unpublished literatures. An ecological model was used as the conceptual framework with five levels of factors to guide the analysis. The intrapersonal factors include increasing permissive attitudes and practices of premarital sex, lack of knowledge on contraception, and low self-efficacy among females. The interpersonal factors include poor communication among partners and between parents and youths on sexuality-related issues, and peer-influence. The organizational factors include inadequate sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for youths. The contextual factors include gender inequality, cultural norms, and migration. The final level is lack of separate policy on youth SRH.

Conclusion: The findings point out four major determinants of unintended pregnancy and abortion among unmarried youths, including: 1) cultural norms, which consider premarital sex is a taboo; 2) lack and inadequate quality of sexuality education in the schools; 3) lack of youth-friendly SRH services; and 4) no separate policy addressing youth SRH.

Comment: This is a literature review to find ways to prevent unintended pregnancies in adolescents. The findings are clear: see above. We need to accept that adolescents also have sexual activity, so we need to provide sex education and youth-friendly services to provide family planning. (HMV)