Child Marriage

Karnataka Grapples With Alarming Surge in Teenage Pregnancies

Karnataka is confronting a severe public health and social challenge, with over 25,436 teenage pregnancies recorded between April and February of the current fiscal year, according to state Reproductive and Child Health data. While a decrease from previous years, the numbers are deemed “unacceptably high” by experts. Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar has largely attributed this disturbing trend to the widespread use of social media among adolescents, early romantic relationships, child marriages, and shifts in family structures. [9]