A Necessary Look on Pregnancy in Adolescence
2019-10-16 13:25:29 / web@radiorebelde.icrt.cu / Translated by: JC Caballero
High adolescent fertility is a real challenge of sexual and reproductive health at an international level and our country does not escape, said Dr. Francisca Cruz Sánchez, when she appeared in the Health section of the Making Radio program.
Although the indicator had registered a tendency to decrease between 1994 and 2005, from 60 to 44.9 births per thousand women between 15-19 years of age, in the later stage an increase process began.
The pediatrician, Master in Comprehensive Child Care, points out that for 2017 its value was 52 per 1000 adolescent women, which represents about 16% of total fertility.
Despite the actions carried out by the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), the Ministry of Education (MINED), the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) and other organizations and institutions, in the last decade in the country, this behavior shows a resistance to vary.
Especially, fertility in children under 15 years, remains almost constant with about 400 births per year. "This is also a highly vulnerable group that we should continue to pay special attention to."
Cuba´s East Region: More teenage pregnancies
The five eastern provinces, together with Camagüey, record the highest birth values per thousand girls between 15 and 19 years and well above the national average.
In 2017: Granma (66.6), Las Tunas (66.3), Holguín (65.5) Santiago de Cuba (62.3), Guantanamo (64.6), Santiago de Cuba (59.9) and Camaguey (63.2).
Journey to the causes
According to Dr. Francisca Cruz, honorary member of the Cuban Society of Pediatrics, Cuban adolescents use contraception less than women of older ages. The results of studies show that 60% of women between 15 and 19 years old, married or in union, declared using a contraceptive method compared to 73.7% of women aged 20 to 24 years.
According to the same source, it is precisely the adolescents who showed the highest percentage of unmet needs, with 22%.
There are also barriers for adolescents to access Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Not only the problems of availability and knowledge of contraceptive methods are located, but also obstacles associated with the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights and gender challenges and gaps, together with aspects of a social, cultural, informative and communicational nature.
Once again the influence of gender inequities impact not only on adolescents' decision to continue pregnancy, but they are intervening since sexual initiation and have even limited negotiation regarding contraception; in such a way, these girls usually arrive at the reproduction from the influence of the family, the couple and the group of peers.
The psychological characteristics of the adolescent stage explain how difficult it is for adolescents to assume responsible behaviors in relation to sexual and reproductive health, although educational, informative and social communication actions are privileged, as well as the expansion of contraception. , both in ranges of products with high security, as in accessibility, especially aimed at young people and adolescents.
More than before, an intersectoral and inter-institutional approach is needed, in a context with guarantees of universal access and equal opportunities and denotes that there is still a problematic situation, despite the unquestionable advances in sectors such as health and education, and particularly in the integral education of sexuality.
Before everyone's problem
With the aim of reducing adolescent fertility and abortion used as a method of family planning, the Ministry of Public Health is currently perfecting the National Program for Comprehensive Health Care for Adolescents, existing since 2000 - with a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional approach and that develops social communication actions for young people and adolescents in order to reduce pregnancies and abortions in this group, promote responsible motherhood and fatherhood and the prevention of behaviors that involve sexual and reproductive risks, among other actions.
The 168 municipal Family Planning services have been strengthened, with certified human resources and coverage of at least five variants of modern and highly effective contraceptives.
The members of the municipal Family Planning services in 168 municipalities have received refresher courses and in 2018, 10 thousand 134 Basic Health Teams benefited with Family Planning and Contraception Courses.
Mass media play an essential role in reaching the greatest number of teenagers. The variety, quality and time dedicated to providing information to couples about family planning services and the advantages of modern contraception, high efficiency and long duration, are presented as a must-have agenda of programs and messages for that target audience.
The Ministry of Education and the Federation of Cuban Women, since 2018, said Dr., carry out a group of actions with the basic health teams, teachers, adolescent promoters and parents in institutions of professional technical education. Educational talks on methods of contraception, about the risks of pregnancy at that stage of life, both for health and for the life project happen in each of the educational institutions with the support of the doctor and the nurse of the area.
For Dr. Francisca Cruz Sánchez, the essential role to avoid a conception between the ages of 10 and 18, is developed by the family. Where human relations are born, where the child is trained, from his birth, it is where he should talk, dialogue, advise because it is the parents who would also be affected by his life project with the arrival of a new member.
By Claudia Díaz Pérez
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