Mysuru district records steady decline in teenage pregnancies

Mysuru: In a big relief to the stakeholders from the health and women and child welfare departments, the district is recording a steady decline in teenage pregnancies.As per data available with the health department, teenage pregnancies dropped from 923 in 2020-21 to 113 between April-Dec 2025 in the district. Experts attributed this to a drop in child marriages and increased awareness in society. In this period, teenage pregnancies in the state fell from 11,806 to 2,726.According to the data, 113 teenage pregnancies is the highest for the Old Mysuru region.According to the data presented by women and child development minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, to a question raised by MLC SV Sankanur in the recently concluded session, in 2021-22, the district recorded 945 cases of pregnancies of girls below18 years. In 2022-23, 731 such incidents were reported. In 2023-24, cases came down to 296. In 2023-25, 175 teenage pregnancies were reported in the district.All the districts of the Mysuru region also recorded this trend. In Chamarajanagar district, cases fell from 320 in 2020-21 to 19 between April-Dec 2025. Chikkamagaluru (249 to 54), Hassan (398 to 95), Kodagu (80 to 60), Mandya (558 to 48), and Shivamogga (246 to 56) also recorded declines.Dhananjaya, a former member of the Child Welfare Committee, a quasi-judicial body, said two factors were responsible for the decline in teenage pregnancies—a drop in child marriages and increased awareness being raised on the issue. "Child marriage was the major reason for teenage pregnancies. With child marriages coming down, teenage pregnancies also come down," he said.He also hailed the role of doctors in creating awareness on the issue. "Currently, if any teenage pregnancy is found, doctors alert their senior officials during the medical examination. It is helping the govt agencies to monitor such cases," he said.