The data presented in this report was collected in Weno, Chuuk as part of a larger study that aimed to understand the contemporary context and realities of adolescents who face unplanned pregnancy and motherhood in three Pacific Island States: Chuuk, Vanuatu and Tonga. Rates of unplanned adolescent pregnancy are high in many Pacific Islands countries. Issues facing adolescent girls with regard to sexual and reproductive health are implicated in social, cultural and economic development, and in human rights imperatives in the region. Young women in the Pacific navigate sexual and reproductive decision-making in increasingly complex social and cultural contexts.

Accounts of the lived experiences and perspectives of the young women and girls themselves are necessary for an adequate understanding of the realities of unplanned pregnancy. Data for the Chuuk segment of the study was collected via face-toface interviews with 22 participants aged 16–19 and 10 grandmothers or women over age 50. Two focus group discussions with older women were also conducted on Weno. Interviews enquired into personal family and relationship stories and relevant contextual information, including access to sexual and reproductive health services; enablers and constraints to decisionmaking and action; traditional knowledge and practices of fertility control; and the role of older women in these matters. The sample was non-random and, as such, findings describe this group only and are not generalisable to the wider population.