The Bhutanese Leading the way.
According to statistics from Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), a total of 86 cases of teenage pregnancies have been recorded from 2019 till date.
As of now in 2024, there were 11 cases registered, 25 cases were recorded in 2023, 8 cases in 2022, 20 cases in 2021, 16 cases in 2020 and 7 cases in 2019.
Thimphu and Paro have recorded the highest cases with 13 cases each, followed by Mongar with 12 cases.
This year, Trashigang has the highest cases with 5 cases.
Teenage pregnancies are considered high-risk at Adolescent Friendly Health Service (AFHS) unit under JDWNRH, with a focus on monitoring and supporting these young mothers through their pregnancy to reduce the risk of complications.
The team also works to connect adolescents lacking family or social support to relevant organizations like RENEW, NCWCP and The PEMA.
While there has been a decline in teenage pregnancy cases over the past decade, barriers such as legal restrictions and social stigma prevent some teenagers from seeking counseling services.
The AFHS team shared that they remains committed to providing care and support to all pregnant women, regardless of age, to ensure safe pregnancies, healthy deliveries, and postpartum well-being.
They provide early intervention, such as providing folic acid within the first 6 to 7 weeks of pregnancy, crucial for preventing birth defects and supporting the development of the nervous system in the baby. It is important for adolescent women to seek timely care and support to ensure the best possible outcomes for themselves and their babies.
The AFHS team addresses a range of issues faced by adolescent women, such as lack of readiness for childbirth, physical immaturity, health risks, mental health concerns, and societal discrimination. They offer guidance and support to ensure these women do not experience depression or anxiety, and conduct thorough screenings to identify any potential issues.
In cases where adolescents exhibit signs of abuse or rape, they are referred to the forensic department for further intervention. If there are other health concerns that require gynecological attention, the AFHS team facilitates referrals to the appropriate specialists.
For mental health issues beyond their scope, referrals are made to clinical counselors or psychiatric departments as needed.
Pem Zam a mother of 2 daughter shared, “I feel, more advocacy should be happening, and it’s not a work that a single organization can do, everyone should work as a team and share the responsibility, not only the hospitals. As for school level, advocacy should be done by teachers involving parents with students. Society, as a whole, we all should know and talk about it too.”
She said parents should take the responsibility of informing their children at home on sexual education, not shift the responsibility to the teachers alone.
Abortion under Law
The Penal Code of Bhutan 2004 states that “A defendant shall be guilty of the offence of illegal abortion, if the defendant unlawfully aborts or induces expulsion of an embryo or fetus or prevents child from being born alive, except the act is caused in good faith for the purpose of saving the life of the mother of when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, or when the mother is of unsound mental condition.”
How safe is iPills?
A pharmacist shared that there is no 100 percent guarantee that iPill will prevent pregnancy, there is always 1 percent chances that women can still conceive a child.
After intercourse, if women take iPill within 72 hours, it can stop pregnancy. However, it is not recommended to take iPill as it has risk leading to complications during later pregnancies, chances of getting ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and there will always be hormonal changes.
He said that it is always good to keep iPill as optional, if incase even after using protection there is a tear and the semen gets inside. Even as optional, in a year only 1 iPill is recommended or if necessary 2, not more.
Further he said, in other countries iPill is not an over counter (OTC) drug, which means it should always be prescribed by gynecologist. However, in our country it is considered as OTC drug.
Child Adoption
The PEMA Centre adoption unit shared that as for teenage pregnancies, there are several categories, maybe the partner is not accepting, then the case is pursued by RBP. In the meantime, the pregnant teen’s willing is taken into account, and if they don’t want the baby, alternative ways if the family members or relatives are willing to adopt.
Depending on the condition, if no family members are capable of adopting the newborn, and in case of single parent background with financial burdens, the adoption opportunity is provided to willing applicants who are registered under them and who are capable enough to raise the baby as their own.
Initial registration of the child is placed under the biological parent’s census, in some cases maintaining confidentiality, and after completion of adoption process it is transferred to the adoptive parents.
There is an alternative care service and it has two category. Foster care where in cases of the child without census, because of non-Bhutanese fathers, or non-identification of father, the child is given for adoption to stranger and as for kinship care, the adoption option is given within family members.
Adoptive family applicants don’t necessarily have to be couple but can be a single person also. However, they have to be financially stable and mentally sound.
So far, the unit have received 2 cases of teenage pregnancy.
The unit has made every inclusive service for the adoption process and completed the works maximum by 3 days. Necessary documents are shared to the applicants through social media accounts, and only once all the checklist documents are complete, the applicants are called in the unit to give adoption counselling and census transfer works.
As for abandonment of child or infant, the unit collaborates with the JDWNRH.
The unit has successfully completed 39 adoptions from June 2023 till date.
