The Dominican Republic ranks first in Latin America in teenage pregnancies and fourth with the highest incidence of early unions with adults, according to Tomas Polanco, coordinator of the Coalition of NGOs for Children in the country.
59% of low-income girls will have had early sex and be cohabiting by the age of 18 with adults between the ages of 40 and 60. Statistics indicate that 23% of girls will be in a relationship before the age of 15.
Polanco says the numbers are alarming. The number is well above the regional average.He remarked that early unions lead to school dropouts and poor school results and literacy levels. In most cases, the early unions are accompanied by some form of sexual and psychological violence.
In 2021, the National Congress passed a law prohibiting child marriage and cohabitation, but child unions continue at regional highs. He said commercial sexual exploitation of minors is common.
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Hoy
8 December 2022