UNFPA: Women lead the fight against teenage pregnancy in the Dominican Republic

DAJABÓN, Dominican Republic, Dec. 19, 2024 /CNW/ -- The Dominican Republic ranks among the Latin American and Caribbean nations with the highest rates of teenage pregnancy. Women, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), have launched an initiative to tackle this issue through a multi-faceted approach that includes empowering young girls, increasing sexual education, and expanding access to family planning.

Women lead the fight against teenage pregnancy in the Dominican Republic

The problem is particularly acute along the border with Haiti. In provinces like Elías Piña, 79% of households have low or very low socioeconomic status, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development (MEPyD) cited in a UNFPA report.

The report highlights that teenage pregnancy is more prevalent in border provinces than in the rest of the country, accounting for one in four pregnancies, compared to one in five nationwide. With 77 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19, the Dominican Republic has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Latin America.

To address this, a network has been established with UNFPA's support. It includes family planning programs in health centers, hospitals, neighborhoods, and even private homes known as "key houses."

Grismary Carrasco runs one such "key house" in the border town of Dajabón.

She emphasizes the "greater privacy" of the key house, where she distributes an average of 190 condoms per month.

Within this network, the Centros de Primer Nivel de Atención (Primary Care Centers, or CPNA) serve as the first point of contact with the healthcare system, initiating prenatal care for pregnant women.

Dr. Encarnación de Pula, director of a CPNA in the border town of Pedernales, warns that some underage girls from low-income families engage in relationships with adults in exchange for favors, even though "it is penalized."

To bridge this gap, UNFPA has donated four "motorcycle ambulances" to the province of Elías Piña. These vehicles are equipped with space for patients, making it easier for mothers to access hospital care.

UNFPA believes that achieving zero teenage pregnancies in the Dominican Republic requires starting awareness efforts in childhood.

Alicia Estévez is part of the Building Dreams girls' club in Dajabón, where she works with underage girls, teaching them "their rights over their bodies and that no one is allowed to touch them."

She explains, "Many adults come through here and deceive them (...) then, when they get pregnant, they abandon them and leave."

In response, Estévez helps these girls envision a different future.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2584181/UNFPA.jpg

SOURCE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Berny Figuereo, Communications Coordinator, Tel: [phone], [email protected]