Teenage pregnancy, vulnerability and public policies

Abstract

Twenty years ago, the issue of  teenage pregnancy entered the public agenda as an expression of poverty and vulnerability of young female population in Chile. This article presents an analysis of this problem through four approaches: 1) it provides a brief overview of public policy regarding this issue and the diagnosis behind it. 2)  analysis data regarding pregnancy of young women under the age of twenty (data used is from statistics on pregnancy to woman under the age of twenty and births to pregnant women of the same age) and compares measurements from the 1995-1996 Census on pregnant students in the Chilean school system, 2006 and 2009 CASEN (National Socioeconomic Characterization Survey) data on pregnancies to women under 20. 3) It examines the vulnerability of these young women based on testimonies regarding the meaning and practice of youth sexuality-within the context of transition to adulthood. 4) the article states that the condition of being an adolescent mother in Chile implies a greater vulnerability to poverty and the exclusion from rights and benefits that are provided by the school system. These claims are supported by the analysis of CASEN data from 2006 and 2009.