Panama high school pregnancies jump 77%

The number of pregnancies among  high school students in Panama’s public schools  in has jumped 77% in the last year.

Data provided by the National Directorate of Educational Planning, Ministry of Education  of the Ministry of Education (Meduca) shows that last year reported 1,213 thousand teenage pregnancies were reported.

In 2010 there were 684 cases, 529 fewer than in 2011.

Five of the girls became pregnant at the age of 12. However, the majority of pre

The educational regions with most pregnancies in 2011 were Central Panama(264) Colon (186) and Cocle 109.

Experts are calling for better prevention policies involving parents, teachers and students. 

The numbers of pregnant girls at the primary level have not yet been tabulated by the Meduca this year as they are in the process, according to reports. 

Since 2002, when Law 29 was passed to ensure the education and health of pregnant minors, the numbers began to appear. That first year, there 567 cases of pregnant girls nationwide says Meduca

Between 2004 and 2011, there weere 7070 . teen pregnancies

Some of these cases is alarming, since from the primary level (second grade) were no reports of pregnant girls.

For the psychologist Porte Raul Del Mar,  with the Social Security Fund, the situation that exists with pregnant girls is rooted in the family.

Del Mar said the family is the nucleus of every society and that therefore parents should talk to your children early about the physical changes they will experience in their teens, and sex and the consequences arising from its early practice.

The psychologist believes that sex education should begin at home, followed by the support provided by teachers in schools. However, he stressed that "we must speak to the children at home, because otherwise they will learn from trial and error in the streets."

Del Mar also believes that the only way to minimize teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is with prevention.