Venezuela's teen pregnancy epidemic

Around the world, rates of teen pregnancy have been dropping for decades.

But in Latin America, rates of teenage motherhood remain stubbornly high. Today they’re about 36 percent higher than the global average. One country where the problem is particularly acute is Venezuela - where teenagers account for nearly one in four births.

Venezuela's economic crisis has had a big effect on its public health system – including efforts to curtail teen pregnancy.

On this edition of Global Journalist, a look at teen pregnancy in Latin America and the particular challenges faced by young Venezuelans.

Joining the program:

• • Lina Roa, research fellow at Harvard Medical School.
  • Luisa Kislinger, director, Civil Association of Women Online.
  • Rebecca Hanson, assistant professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida.
  • Alexandra Ulmer, Venezuela correspondent for Reuters

Assistant producers: Lily Cusack, Maggie Duncan

Supervising producer: Rayna Sims

Visual editor: Jiwon Choi