Paper short abstract:

This research explores the subjective experiences of teenage pregnancy in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. It uses an intersectionality approach, understood as the interrelationship of multiple social divisions of oppression, to look at how they shape such diverse identities and lived experiences.

Paper long abstract:

In the past decades, there has been a concern about the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Mexico, which has been defined as a problem that must be wiped out because it 'hinders development'. My research tried to move away from that negative connotation and aimed to listen to the teenage mothers instead.

This research explores the subjective experiences of teenage pregnancy in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. It uses an intersectionality approach, understood as the interrelationship of multiple social divisions of oppression, to look at how they shape such diverse identities and lived experiences.

My study was based on fifteen in-depth semi-structured interviews held in the summer of 2014, with teenagers who had experienced or were currently experiencing a pregnancy. Not only were they being stigmatized because of their age and gender, but class and race also played a major role. Nonetheless, their resilient points of view contrast with the dominant discourse that a teenage pregnancy is an event that will forever ruin their lives.

The vast diversity of teenage pregnancy experiences, even among the group of people who participated in this research, can further guide us to fully unpack and understand all of the complexities surrounding this phenomenon when designing and implementing development programs or policies.