Fact Sheet: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents in Burkina Faso's Central Region

Abstract

This fact sheet is the English-language version of findings from a mixed-methods study on the lived experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents in the Central region of Burkina Faso, conducted by the African Population and Health Research Center and the Institut Superieur des Sciences de la Population under the Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion project. The study examined the social, economic, and health circumstances of adolescent girls and boys who are pregnant or already parenting, a population that has historically received less research and policy attention than pregnancy-prevention efforts targeting adolescents more broadly. It documents how these young people perceive their roles as parents, the stigma and exclusion many experience, and the barriers they face in continuing their education and achieving economic stability. The fact sheet translates the study's core statistics and qualitative findings into a concise, accessible English-language format intended for use by policymakers, program implementers, and advocates working to improve support systems for pregnant and parenting adolescents in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region.