Adolescent pregnancy in Latin America: is it wanted?

Leticia Suárez, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP)
Catherine Menkes, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors associated to unwanted pregnancies in adolescent women. METHODOLOGY: Based upon the information from the Demographic and Health Surveys in Bolivia, Colombia, Haiti and Honduras, women between 15 and 19 years of age with at least one child born alive were selected. Focusing the statistical analysis on the last pregnancy, a logistic regression analysis was carried out to observe the association between the unwanted pregnancy and the selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: 65.1% of Bolivian, 60.9% of Colombian, 61.3% of Haitian and 49.4% of Honduran women stated not having wanted their last pregnancy at the moment it occurred. The factors that account for not wanting the pregnancy differ between countries. The most determining factors accounting for unwanted pregnancies among adolescents include marital status and the number of children born alive. It is mandatory to consider integral policies that enhance their life conditions and alternatives.