Abstract : After reviewing the reasons that stimulated the interest of scholars in adolescent fertility, this article reviews the current knowledge on social aspects that affect differences in adolescent maternity in Latin America. The macrosocial aspects include public policies, and aspects of the immediate social context include the place of residence of the young women, the availability of resources for reproductive health services and contraception, the family structure and the interaction with parents, other adults and the peer group. Individual characteristics are also considered, including age, socioeconomic group, level of education and ethnic groups. Lastly, the effect on adolescents' reproductive behaviour of their perceptions, attitudes and knowledge with regard to reproduction and contraception areanalyzex, and the paper concludes with a brief consideration of the possible reasons for the relatively slow decline in adolescent fertility.
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