Abstract : At least 10% of abortions throughout the world are in women aged 15-19, and the proportion is increasing. One-third of pregnancies in Latin America are believed to end in abortion. It is difficult to estimate the incidence of abortion in adolescents in Peru because of its illegality and clandestine nature. A survey of students in metropolitan Lima indicated that 40% of pregnancies end in abortion, of which an estimated 88% are induced. In 1999, 424 abortions in women under age 19 were attended at the Maternal Perinatal Institute. Adolescents wait longer to seek medical assistance in case of complications, increasing the risk of serious complications. Induced abortion is usually the result of an unwanted pregnancy resulting from early sexual activity, deficient sex education, lack of information on contraception, lack of communication, poor use of free time, alcohol consumption, or drug addiction. The significance of the pregnancy to the adolescent, the partner's support or absence, the family's attitude, the adolescent's plans for the future, available economic support, self-esteem, and values are factors in the decision to end the pregnancy. The post-abortion period is an opportunity for treating the problems that contributed to the unwanted pregnancy, and for managing feelings of guilt and raising the self-esteem and assertiveness of the patient. A great percentage of adolescents who abort are from disintegrated or dysfunctional homes. Efforts should be made to reintegrate the adolescent into the home if the family has rejected her. Postabortion counseling should be provided on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Abortion in adolescence is a traumatic process biologically, psychologically, and socially. Integral care should involve management of the three components by a trained multidisciplinary team.
Web site : http://www.fhi.org/en/Youth/YouthNet/Publications/FOCUS/ProjectHighlights/redess-jovenesperu-span.htm