Abstract : Births to female adolescents comprise almost 13% of total births in Chile each year, for a total of approximately 38,000 live births to adolescent girls annually in the country. Girls in contemporary Chilean society have a range of possible options if they become pregnant. They may get married, live with their partner outside of marriage, be a single mother, give their child up for adoption, or abort the fetus. Although this latter option is illegal in Chile, research indicates that there are 130,000-150,000 clandestine abortions in the country per year. One-third of abortions produce complications requiring hospitalization. The proportion of women under age 24 hospitalized for abortion-related complications increased from 36% of the total in 1970 to almost 49% in 1985. The authors investigated the consequences of each option pregnant girls have from working class strata in Santiago. Findings are based upon group discussions with 85 young mothers and interviews with two young women who had opted for abortion and two who had given their babies for adoption. Participants were aged 10-19 years. Each option following adolescent pregnancy has risks, obstacles, and challenges requiring a significant degree of sacrifice. The girls fear the loss of their future, of self-esteem, and of the affection of their partners, parents, and friends. The girls also fear that their child will ultimately reject them when they learn of their mother's premarital pregnancy. Young mothers have their rights curtailed and their access to work and school restricted or denied.
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