In Cuba 20% of pregnant women are under 19 years old and are not ready to be mothers
14ymedio, Havana, 3 November 2024 — Mental and physical maturity are the minimum requirements that, according to Escambray — the official newspaper of Sancti Spiritus — a woman who wants to be a mother must have. But the 56 teenagers from Sancti Spíritus who are currently expecting a baby lack both of these things. The figure , which has caused alarm among the authorities, has skyrocketed since last year by 3.5% and, in 2024, one in five pregnant women in the province is under 19 years old.
In total, 227 teenagers have given birth in the province since January. Among the municipalities with the most worrying figures are Jatibonico, where 29.3% of pregnant women are minors; La Sierpe, with 25.8%; and Taguasco, 25.4%.
The general reaction, the local newspaper admits, is fear of the response of parents, partners, friends, of being deprived of help and not knowing what they are up against. Over time, if the family environment is good – says Escambray, citing some cases – the teenager ends up accepting motherhood and even being happy about it. But – here the newspaper does not dare to collect testimonies – relatives are not always understanding, nor do they have the economic means to support a child.
“This happens, mostly, because the teenager does not visit the Family Doctor’s Office”
The opinions of several secondary school students from a school in Sancti Spiritus illustrate the general idea that teenagers have about premature pregnancies: “At this age I would never have a child.” “Without giving it a thought I would try to have an abortion.” “I leave school and work to support it.” “If my girlfriend tells me she is pregnant, I leave her, I never see her again.” In the opinion of the young people, “drawing attention” and “not protecting themselves” are the two main reasons why a girl their age could become pregnant.
On the subject, Lisandra Martín Rodríguez, advisor to the Municipal Department of the Maternal and Child Assistance Program (Pami), believes that the problem is one of “preconception risk.” “This occurs, in its majority, because the adolescent does not visit the Family Doctor’s Office, either due to a lack of knowledge about where to go or who her doctor is, denial or underestimation of the problems by the patient,” she says, although she recognizes that the inflexible hours of the consultations and the “failures in the appointment process” also make it difficult “to analyze the young women at this stage and leads to late detection of pregnancy.”
Escambray also lists the consequences for adolescents of early pregnancy: interruption of natural growth of the body, birth of low-weight babies, anemia, malformations in the fetus, interruption of studies in many cases, social isolation of the mother and even depression and anxiety. The response, when the decision is made to not continue with the pregnancy, is always abortion. According to data from Pami, in the province there were “361 voluntary terminations of pregnancies at these ages, whether by surgical methods, medication or menstrual regulation.”
“What is happening in today’s society when one of the biggest social problems becomes an everyday occurrence?”
“I found out four days ago that I was pregnant. It was a late detection of pregnancy, at 20 weeks. When I found out, without thinking, the first thing I did was go to the curettage clinic to have an abortion. With so much time passed, I felt obliged to have the baby. At that moment I had many mixed emotions, but I have accepted it and this will be my baby no matter what happens,” an 18-year-old girl told Escambray, whom the media describes as “disengaged from studies and the work sector.”
The official media even asks, “What is happening in today’s society when one of the biggest social problems becomes an everyday occurrence?” But its answers completely evade problems that have been worsening on the Island for years: access to contraceptive methods, to efficient sexual education and to consultations with specialists in health centers that have the technology and conditions to provide quality services.
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
