While the number of babies being born in the territory has decreased, the number of teenage pregnancies has increased.
Since 2007 there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of teenage mothers.
A senior nurse practitioner for women’s health at an outlying clinic says since January she has already seen approximately 40 teenage mothers.
She is concerned that if the trend continues there will be a high number of teenage pregnancies again this year.
Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat’s reporter in American Samoa, Monica Miller, says the statistics have been alarming as traditionally the nation has been very religious, with sex frowned upon before marriage.
“A nurse told me it’s quite alarming to her that girls that come to the clinic — it’s like being pregnant is the ‘in thing’ and it’s not frowned upon any longer,” she said.
“There seems to be lack of parental supervision, that these pregnancies are taking place and that sex is going on between young girls and their boyfriends when their parents are not at home.”
She believes more traditional parenting and better supervision could bring the numbers down.
