Office of the Ombudsman, Samoa‘s National Human Rights Institution Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child – September 2015 among religious leaders.37Family health workers often judge young women seeking contraception, procedures to obtain a prescription can be complex and as a result young women are often denied access to birth control.38 Further, perceptions that youth should not use condoms are prevalent39 which also inhibits youth from accessing this form of contraception. 53. The Survey found that 60% of participant‘s and 73% of village leaders (particularly rural women leaders) agreed that there should be better access to birth control for both men and women. Efforts should be made to improve access, and address the factors which inhibit youth from accessing contraception. Recommendation 8: The Samoan Government, in consultation with the NHRI, UNFPA and UNAIDS, should launch comprehensive public health campaigns around safe sex, in particular addressing increased understanding and acceptance of condom and contraceptive use at political, religious and traditional leadership levels. 8.3 Teenage pregnancy 54. According to the Government, the adolescent birth rate is 39 births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19.40 Approximately 1 in every 25 babies born in Samoa is born to a mother aged 15 – 1941 and the rates of teen pregnancy are increasing.42 In 2014, the Samoa Family Health Association (SFHA)43 reported that it provided services to 19 patients under the age of 17 during pregnancy, all of whom sought alternatives to bringing the pregnancy to full term.44 55. The (SVSG) also voiced concerns around unwanted pregnancy and the risks girls take in hiding pregnancies from families for fear of being banished or beaten.45Indeed, there have been documented cases of attempted suicide by young mothers afraid that their families would not accept their pregnancy.46Inadequate settings to address teen pregnancy can also be harmful to the teen‘s child with anecdotal evidence of unwanted babies being 37 Notes from church consultations with the NHRI and results of church Surveys. Located on file at the NHRI 38 Input from anonymous Survey participant on file with the NHRI. 39 Input from anonymous Survey participant on file with the NHRI. 40 Data request on Women's Health, correspondence with the Ministry of Health, source National Census Report (2011). Although it was also reported at 44 per 1000 for women aged 15 to 19 years via the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2009. 41 Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS), Population and Housing Census 2011 Analytical Report (2011 Census)at VI. 42 UNICEF, A situational analysis of children, women and youth, available at: http://www.unicef.org/pacificislands/ Samoa_sitan.pdf [accessed 25 June 2015] at 71. 43 Samoa Family Health Association (SFHA) is a non-governmental organisation that provides invaluable sexual and reproductive health services to families in Samoa. 44 SFHA, Data Request on file at the NHRI 45 Consultation notes from SVSG, 1 May 2015, on file at the NHRI. 46 Ibid. 17