According to the UN Population Fund report "Motherhood in Childhood ", 7.3 million girls under 18 years of age give birth on a universal level. A total of 95% of these births occur in developing countries.

Pregnancy in very young girls and adolescents not only affects their physical health (fistulas, hemorrhaging, infections, etc.) but also their emotional development and their future in society. We should not forget that having sexual relations at a young age is a health risk factor in itself, whether or not there is a resulting pregnancy, as shown by numerous scientific studies and international organizations.

In Spain, the rate of minor age pregnancies has been increasing over the years, despite campaigns promoting the use of condoms and other contraceptive methods. These campaigns in favor of using a condom transmit a message of "100% safety" and invulnerability to teenagers (which is not real because condoms are not 100% effective), leading to an increase in other riskier sexual conduct, such as routinely changing sex partners and/or initiating sex at an earlier age. This phenomenon, known as "risk compensation", explains the fact that despite the increased use of contraceptives and/or condoms, early pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections continue to rise. Furthermore, the rate of failure regarding the correct use of condoms is much higher in younger people, resulting in a lower efficiency rate for condom use.

According to a UN report, poverty, early marriages and lack of education are the main underlying causes of early pregnancy. Obviously, with a problem caused by multiple factors, the solution cannot simply be limited to the promotion of the use of contraceptives or to the practice of abortions, the latter further affecting the emotional development of girls. Aside from amending laws that protect early marriages and improving economic conditions and supporting families, education continues to be the best tool for protecting children and adolescents. However, this must be an education that strengthens character, giving these young people goals in life, reinforcing their dignity and self-esteem, and helping them to fully understand their own feelings in order to better manage them within their own projection to the future. In short, a comprehensive education that covers all the dimensions of a person is greatly needed at this time.