Teen pregnancy, a problem that plagues Latin America

Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the Population Fund (UNFPA), said yesterday that gender inequality and the high number of teen pregnancies are two major problems faced by Latin America and the Caribbean in regards to population.

“Teen pregnancy continues to be one of the most important challenges in terms of rights and sexual and reproductive health for the region. It is, without doubt, the cause and the consequence of great social,  economic and gender  inequalities, which affect health, individual, education, and social development of adolescents”, as indicated by a report of the UNFPA which will discussed today at the I Conference of population and development in Latin America and the Caribbean which will take place in Montevideo, Uruguay.

According to figures compiled by the United Nations in Latin America, 10% of adolescent girls between 15 and 19 years old, are mothers, while 38% of women become pregnant before the age of 20 years.

Currently, in Ecuador there are 122. 301 adolescent mothers, which according to the statistics provided by the INEC, only 30. 575 belong to the economically active population (PEA), 11.5%, are merchants at shops and 10% are domestic assistants.

As to marital status terms, 55% lives with her partner, while 20% is unmarried and lives alone, 18% is married; 7% is separated and the remaining percentage is divorced or become widowed.