This annual report - Taranaki District Health Board

who delay a second pregnancy by two years tend to avoid many of the negativeconsequences of early childbearing that can lead to chronic poverty and welfaredependence [161]. The Families Commission has identified the prevention of repeatteenage pregnancy and improving the support for teenage parents as priority areas [163].As described above, young women who become pregnant in their teenage years are morelikely to be exposed to risk factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such assmoking, and these risk factors are also linked to socioeconomic disadvantage. Studieshave also suggested that young women may be less likely to access antenatal care [139].A large Finnish study found that young maternal age was associated with underattendanceand non-attendance for free antenatal care [143]. Internationally, commonbarriers to antenatal care among young women, include: treatment by staff and attitude ofstaff; not wanting to recognise the pregnancy, embarrassment about an unplannedpregnancy or being afraid to tell parents; having social problems that are more important tofocus on than healthcare; waiting times at appointments; transportation difficulties; andattending clinics with older women [139]. In New Zealand the Youth’07 Survey of 9,107secondary school students found that students who self-reported pregnancy reportedgreater difficulty accessing health care (41.7%) than their pregnancy-inexperienced peers(20.6%, p