Social representation of pregnancy in adolescence to pregnant teens

Abstract

Adolescence associated with an unplanned pregnancy has profound consequences for the individual. The objective of this research was to identify the representations of pregnant teenagers about pregnancy, to describe the factors which led to pregnancy, consider the representations aimed at developing grants for nursing activities. This is a qualitative research based on the theory of social representations. We conducted 15 interviews, and analyzed them for content with pregnant adolescents treated at a clinic in Rio de Janeiro, from May to July 2008. Polarity is observed in representational content, encompassing both positive and negative aspects. The main factor leading to the motivation of the pregnancy was the very desire to become pregnant. The representation of pregnancy is associated with socio-cultural factors that will determine the way pregnancy will be experienced. These representational contents of teenage pregnancy may serve for future interventions.