Gravidez na adolescência: falta de informação?

Pregnancy in adolescence: lack of information?

Abstract

Pregnancy in adolescence has been considered a problem of public health. This work intends to find the reasons that take an adolescent to get pregnant, in spite of the great amount of information. This article reviews the history of pregnancy in adolescence, the social changes, the familiar structure, and the elements that can take the adolescent to begin his sexual life, as well as the means from which he or she tries to get information about daily life, contraceptive methods and their implications. The data obtained in the bibliographical review show that adolescents have knowledge on contraceptive methods, however they do not know how to use them correctly. The pill and the condom appear as the most known ones. Adolescents very often deny the risk of getting pregnant due to the magical thinking characteristic of adolescence and to their psycho-emocional immaturity. They believe pregnancy will bring them self-fulfillment and independence. Another relevant factor to be discussed is that culturally the woman is still seen as the only person in charge of avoiding a pregnancy. It is important to provide opportunity of dialogue for parents, relatives, school, adolescents, teachers and health professionals. That would act as an instrument to help overcome the vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), as well as to precocious and not planned pregnancy.