Teen Pregnancies on the Rise in Panama

The Ministry of Health of Panama reported that in 2016 there were a total of 11,298 teen pregnancies, an increase of 322 compared to 2015.

Of every 10 babies born in Panama 3 are born to mothers between the ages of 10 and 19.

The chair of the National Assembly of Labor, Health and Social Development spoke to the sexual education bill that remains pending, saying that the bill would remain pending until “a proposal was submitted that rescues our Christian values.”

While the discussion on the Sex Ed bill remains extremely polarized, it is clear that something needs to be done as the number of teen pregnancies continue to rise.

The data does not include pregnant teens who sought care at Social Security Clinics or Private clinics.