Teen Pregnancy in Costa Rica 50% Higher than United States
On average 41 teenage women per day learn they are pregnant in Costa Rica, and relative to population this represents a rate 50% higher than the United States. In a sobering video interview by Teletica several pregnant teens, aged 14 through 16 explain how they plan to finish school, find a job and care for their children.
Absent in the video are any of the prospective fathers. Generally speaking young men in Costa Rica tend to live with their parents longer than their counterparts in the United States. It is also uncommon to hold a job prior to adulthood in Costa Rica.
According to statistics 27% of teen pregnancies in the United States were terminated by abortion. While detailed statistics are not available for Costa Rica abortion is not an option for most teen mothers in Costa Rica as therapeutic abortion is criminal act punishable by two years imprisonment.
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Filed Under: Local News
