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Adolescent Pregnancy Rates Decline Significantly in El Salvador
Table of Contents
Data shows a 68.3% reduction in pregnancies among girls aged 10-19 between 2015 and 2024.
SAN SALVADOR – Data from the Ministry of Public Health, delivered to the United Nations Population Fund for Sexual and Reproductive Health (UNFPA), indicates a notable decrease in adolescent pregnancies in El Salvador.According to the “Reach Zero” report, pregnancies among adolescents aged 10 to 19 fell by 68.3% between 2015 and 2024.
The report highlights a drop from 24,944 cases in 2015 to 7,900 in 2024. This translates to a decrease from 68.3 daily pregnancies to an average of 21.6. The report states this is “A reduction to less than a third of prenatal inscriptions.”
UNFPA data shows that pregnancies among those aged 15 to 19 decreased by 67.92%, while the reduction was even greater (74.87%) for girls aged 10 to 14. The report suggests that teenage pregnancies are becoming less common and are “no longer seen as ‘normal.'”
Source: UNFPA
What Factors Contribute to This Decline?
The analysis suggests that adolescents who still experience teenage pregnancies frequently enough come from “more lagging” sectors with limited “Access to health, education and social protection.”
The report adds, “In other words, they are cases that remain trapped in structural traps that make it challenging to break with demographic patterns of the past such as early motherhood.”
UNFPA acknowledges that while El Salvador has made “moderate” progress in reducing adolescent fertility, “there are still challenges from both the specific demographic dynamic perspectives and the contribution of these births the total volume reported.”
Data from UNFPA El Salvador indicates that one in 25 Salvadoran adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age are already mothers.
Pregnancy rates by department:
Ahuachapán reported 20.8 pregnancies per thousand adolescents aged 10 to 19.
Sonsonate had a rate of 19.8 pregnancies, while La Paz recorded 18.4.La union and Usulután followed with rates of 17.2, and Morazán reported 16.9.
Santa Ana had a rate of 16.1 teenage pregnancies per thousand young people, followed by San Vicente with 16. San Miguel reported 15.7 pregnant adolescents per thousand.
The departments with the lowest rates were Cuscatlán, La Libertad, Chalatenango, cabañas, and San Salvador.
“A reduction to less than a third of prenatal inscriptions.”
Frequently asked Questions
- What is considered adolescent pregnancy?
- Adolescent pregnancy refers to pregnancies in girls between the ages of 10 and 19.
- What are the main factors contributing to adolescent pregnancy?
- Factors include lack of access to education and healthcare,poverty,and prevailing social norms.
- What is El salvador doing to reduce adolescent pregnancy rates?
- El Salvador is implementing strategies focused on sexual and reproductive health, education, and social protection.
