Media, Poverty, Lack of Policies Blamed for Mexico's Rise in Teen Pregnancies Sandra Hernandez - El Universal
go to original March 10, 2015

Insight: Mexico Leads in Teenage Pregnancy Rates (CCTV America)

According to official figures of Mexico City Health Department, last year the Maternity Hospital of Cuautepec in Gustavo A. Madero district and the Regional General Hospital of Iztapalapa attended 816 and 811 cases of teen pregnancies respectively.

The lack of opportunities, a life plan and public policies that are not implemented by the government contribute to a perfect environment for an early start of sex life.
 
Experts in the field say that there are countless reasons for which people under 18 decide to exercise their sexuality without prior knowledge, leading to a high number of pregnancies in specific areas of Mexico City.

"The lack of sexual education due to the influence of a conservative policy about the access to information and failing to provide information on the body have led youngsters to experiment without having an important basis about their health," said Lourdes Barbosa, director of the NGO Mujeres en Frecuencia.

Because of this, and a socio-cultural context of poverty and lack of opportunities, there is a significant number of pregnancies in women under 18.

Read the rest at El Universal

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