Udon Thani reports 9-year-old mother with 13-year-old father

UDON THANI — A 9-year-old girl has been reported as the youngest mother in the province of Udon Thani, according to an official from the Health Promotion Center 8. The father of her child is 13 years old. The case was discussed during a Safe Love Smart Life workshop at Udon Thani Rajabhat University, which took place on 23 September.

The workshop was held for 350 first-year students from the Faculty of Science to provide information on preventing teenage pregnancy and to equip students with skills to handle potentially risky situations.

Sukanya Kanawapi, from the Health Promotion Center 8, has been monitoring teenage pregnancy trends for over a decade. Over that period, she has observed a decline in births among mothers aged 10-14, which dropped from 20 cases in 2023 to six cases in 2026 in Udon Thani. This age group represents about 20% of teenage mothers in the province.

During the workshop, it was highlighted that young people often worry more about their parents discovering their sexual activity than about the possibility of pregnancy. Sukanya encouraged young people to seek advice and emphasized the importance of understanding contraception, respecting their bodies, and recognizing the risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

Among the students who sought advice about unintended pregnancy, 55.3% reported having sex without intending to do so, with circumstances or atmosphere being the primary factors leading to sexual activity. Additionally, 20.5% said they had sex while intoxicated. The data also revealed that 64.5% of pregnancies were unintended, while 35.6% were intentional. Teenage pregnancy can have significant impacts on education, employment prospects, future income, family relationships, and financial responsibilities.