In just three years, the number of underage pregnancies has been cut in half! This monumental achievement is thanks, in large part, to the offer of long-acting contraceptives. The CCSS now offers, for free, various contraception options that are 99% effective.
One offer is the copper intrauterine device that prevents pregnancy for five years and the other is a hormonal implant that is placed in the arm and prevents pregnancy for three years. Minors can get these for free even if they don’t have insurance.
Before placing the device in a minor, a psychological assessment is done to determine who she is having sex with and provide multidisciplinary support. It is not just sending them out to have sex but protecting them in case they decide to or they become victim to abuse.
At the beginning of the 21st century, 21 babies a day were born to mothers between 10 and 17 years old. By 2018, that figure dropped to 11 and then by 2021 it fell to six. Of all the births in the year 2000, 8.5% were to adolescent mothers. In 2021, only 3.8% were.
