Social representations of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy in young women from the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the social representations of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy in young women from the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Jalisco, Mexico. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with 79 women between 18 and 21 years of age, undergraduate students in the area of ​​health sciences, who were given free lists to indicate proximity or distance in relation to their study phases. The social representations were obtained by applying the Abric theory and expressed through graphs. RESULTS: The social representation of unplanned pregnancy was “fear, problems and family conflicts”, while unwanted pregnancy was “unprotected, unplanned sex and irresponsibility”. CONCLUSION: The social representations of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy can be associated with the Mexican stereotype of pregnant adolescents, characterized by a lack of awareness of the implications of the beginning of sexual life, and responsibility committed in pregnancy. The term “unwanted child” is associated with situations such as child abuse and problems with the birth and development of children, and with decreasing employment and educational opportunities for parents.