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

Abstract

This study brief presents findings from a mixed-methods study examining the lived experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls and boys in the Central region of Burkina Faso, conducted under the Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion (CPSE) project. Close to one in four adolescent girls in Africa begin childbearing before age 19, yet the wellbeing of those who are already pregnant or parenting has received comparatively little research or programmatic attention relative to pregnancy-prevention efforts. Implemented by the African Population and Health Research Center in partnership with the Institut Superieur des Sciences de la Population at the Universite Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the study explored how adolescents in Burkina Faso perceive their roles as parents, the social, economic, and health-related challenges they face, and the support they need to improve their life chances and those of their children. The brief distills the study's key findings into a concise, accessible format for policymakers and program implementers. It underscores the need for interventions that go beyond pregnancy prevention to actively support the wellbeing, education, and economic empowerment of adolescents who are already pregnant or parenting.