In adolescence you can be a good mother, but there are many complications when it comes to an unplanned pregnancy and greater health risks the younger the mother is. "To speak is to prevent" is a campaign that seeks to raise awareness about teenage pregnancy and encourage parents to discuss their topic with their children.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) campaign, starring actress Catherine Fulop, has recently been launched in Argentina, on the occasion of International Girl's Day and can be seen on the streets, on social networks, television , radio…
Teen pregnancy is a problem that worries everyone, but it is in Latin America and the Caribbean where the rates are much higher than the international average. In Argentina, at least one in six women has their first child before their 19th birthday and most are unplanned pregnancies.
This initiative aims to raise awareness about the problem that often involves teenage pregnancy and the need to educate and inform children and adolescents to prevent it. And who better than parents to provide them with the necessary sex education?
According to data from UNFPA, of the 700,000 births that occur annually in Argentina, 16% correspond to mothers between 15 and 19 years old and more than 3,000 have children between 10 and 13 years old. Which implies that more than 300 births per day are teenagers. In 69% of cases, these are unplanned pregnancies.
In addition to the health risks of the mother and the baby, adolescent pregnancy usually leads to the abandonment of mothers' schooling and with less training, their ability to access good jobs is reduced.
On the UNFPA website we can find guidance to talk with our children about the subject, myths about sexuality, contraceptive methods, questions that children can ask us and what answers we can offer ...
In short, the taboo that is usually established about sex has to be overcome and I think this simple slogan of the campaign to prevent teenage pregnancy: "Talking is preventing". Because many life projects are truncated with an unplanned pregnancy, when the family could arrive a few years later in better conditions for everyone.
Talk to your children, because it can happen to any teenager, because we want them to be responsible and happy adults, also in this area: that maternity / paternity arrives at the most appropriate time, when the risks are lower and people have evolved in maturity and in their training, establishing the pillars of autonomy and a sufficient quality of life.
Official Site | UNFPA
Video | Youtube
In Babies and more | Vitrina Vergüenza, a campaign to prevent teenage pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health in adolescence
