Vice President launches push against teen pregnancies

Santo Domingo.- Vice resident Margarita Cedeño on Thursday launched the program "I decide to wait," aimed at averting pregnancies in girls and adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age.

Cedeño said the program will train adolescents and young adults to orient couples or young singles in social participation and prevention through radio campaigns, and engage adolescents with education programs through progress training and community technology centers.

She said the State must enact measures to effectively prevent pregnancy and protect children and adolescents from an early age, since in her view it’s a complex problem which results from the social inequity, from a weak family structure, low educational level, among other factors.

"Teen pregnancy lacerates society in its most valuable human potential; childhood and adolescence. This problem must be faced by the population and addressed from different areas, but in particular, from the family and schools."

The official said the programs should focus on the country’s most disadvantaged populations, where statistics show the most teen pregnancy cases.