Pregnancy under fifteen: The motives and redefinition of life’s course

• Main Author: Carlos Iván Pacheco-Sánchez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública 2016-01-01
• Series: Salud Pública de México
• Subjects: embarazo en adolescencia; motivos; acontecimientos que cambian la vida; controles formales de la sociedad; violaciones de los derechos humanos
• Online Access: http://www.saludpublica.mx/index.php/spm/article/view/7668

Objectives. To interpret the motives of pregnancy in girls and the re-signification of their life’s course. Materials and methods. In the cities of Bogota, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin, 18 life stories of adolescents under 15 years old with experience of pregnancy were made during 2012 and 2013. A phenomenological analytical framework was used to reveal the motives and meanings. Results. The “because motives” and “in order to motives” of adolescents life course, are redefined by the moral control of families, couples, education and health professionals based on common sense and professional habitus. Conclusion. In the real “because motives” it is found that common sense assigns blame and responsibility to teens for their pregnancy. In the educational context there is a device that excludes them and promotes dropouts. In the field of health, human rights abuses are used as a control and punishment mechanism.