Teen Pregnancy in Durango Mexico: A Cultural Perspective

Abstract

The present research attempts to draw an in-depth understanding of adolescents’ conceptualizations of romantic and gender relationships, which attempted to understand how stereotyped behavior impacts on young girls’ pregnancy decisions. It is a qualitative study that considers own adolescents’ view of marriage and motherhood as an important part of their future life. Qualitative methodology and ethnographic and hermeneutic tools were used to enlighten hidden elements from which statistics and quantitative studies do not show concerning teenage pregnancy, a very important problem in the North West Region of Mexico, particularly in Durango. A comprehensive analysis listening to adolescents themselves can help to reduce adolescent’s fertility and pregnancy rates. Sexual education is officially included in Mexican basic schools; however, it has focused in biological and hygiene issues; the study highlighted the important needs girls and boys have to know about sexual and romantic interaction as a very basic part of sexual education. It was not only about instructing in the use of contraceptive methods but in a real and effective education understanding the cultural context where early pregnancy happens.