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(Rev Med Chile 2015; 143: 716-723)

Introduction: Teen pregnancy remains a major social and public health issue in developing countries. Each additional child compromises the development of both the mother and children. Scarce studies have been performed in Latin America. Purpose: This study explores and analyzes individual and family factors associated with repeat pregnancies during adolescence to better elucidate the phenomenon. Methods: Qualitative-descriptive study. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers 20 years of age or younger from urban areas of Santiago, Chile. Participants were divided into Repeat Pregnancy (RP) and No Repeat Pregnancy (NRP) groups. Qualitative data analysis was based on elements of grounded theory. Results: The RP group generally related life stories reflecting greater psychosocial vulnerability. Most of the RP group dropped out of school after their first pregnancy to focus on parenting and had a passive attitude towards contraception. In contrast, members of the NRP group actively sought long-term contraceptive methods, motivated largely by the desire to continue their education to improve their living conditions and achieve greater personal fulfilment. They tended to have family support networks that facilitated school retention. Conclusion: Key differences between groups included use of contraception, focus on life projects, and motivation to finish school. Prevention strategies should promote long-term contraceptive methods, offer strategies to help young mothers continue their education, facilitate achievement of personal projects, and provide support for parenting.

Chile, together with El Salvador, Malta and Nicaragua has the most restrictive abortion laws. In these countries there is very little information on pregnancies that end in abortions. An analysis is made of official information regarding hospital discharges for abortion in Chile between 2001 and 2010, classified according to age and according to the WHO ICD 10. The Chilean Ministry of Health's Statistics Office (DEIS) collected the data. In 334,485 hospital discharges for abortion, Ectopic Abortion (O00), the Hydatidiform Mole (O01) and Other Abnormal Products of Conception (O02) corresponded to 37.2% of hospital discharges. Spontaneous Abortion (O03) reached 15% and Non Specified Abortion (O06) reached 35.5% and most probably included complications of induced abortions. 77% of hospital discharges corresponded to women between 20 and 34 years of age. Adolescents correspond to 11% of hospital discharges. In the annual average of 33,500 hospital discharges, Other Abnormal Products of Conception (O02), Other Abortions (O05), and Non Specified Abortions (O05) contribute to 72.7% of hospital discharges. This is explained by incomplete diagnoses, by means of the omission of induced abortion as this would mean jail for the woman and legal red-tape for the health personnel involved. Maternal mortality has not fallen. Abortion Mortality and Fatality rates do not change. There is a discrepancy between the law and hospital discharge diagnoses for abortion. The antiabortion law remains unheeded and obeys an ideological bias that brings damage and abuse to Chilean women. The aim of this study is to gain better information from a country that does not allow abortion under any circumstance, and its usefulness to countries in similar situations, together with its negative consequences on woman's health and rights.