She also is the mother of a baby she bore at age 14 when she had sex with her teacher but did not know where babies came from. Guatemala has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in Latin America, putting girls on a path to poverty and dependence rather than school or decent work.
Government statistics cited by Planned Parenthood Federation recorded more than 5, pregnancies by girls under 14 in - and in four out of five cases the offender was a close relative such as a father, uncle or grandparent. One quarter of the children in Guatemala were born to adolescent mothers in the last five years, data shows.
Ignorance about reproduction is rooted in traditional culture and teachings of the Catholic Church and evangelical churches, where girls learn that talk of sex is shameful or forbidden, said volunteers with mentoring program Abriendo Oportunidades Opening Opportunities. Mothers often do not know how to tell daughters about their menstrual cycle, and the secrecy is compounded because so many pregnancies are caused by sexual violence within families, according to campaigners.
Sex education is taught in schools but campaigners say it is often incomplete or irrelevant, given that fewer than half the girls in Guatemala attend secondary schools. Guatemala has one of the highest rates of violent deaths among women. Two women are killed every day, according to the UN Women, citing government statistics showing women were killed violently in Pregnancies in girls under age 14 have been required by law to be reported as acts of rape since Legal abortion is barely an option, prohibited unless the health of the mother is in danger.
An estimated 66, illegal abortions are performed each year. Angela, now 15, said the father of her child was her elementary school teacher, seven years her senior, whom she has since married.
