Adolescent fertility is a problem that is urgent in developing countries due to rapid population growth rates. To gain a better understanding of adolescent fertility within developing countries a study was undertaken to examine adolescent sexual behavior among teens within a developing country, Zambia. A self-administered questionnaire was given to secondary school going teenage women in Zambia. The sample population consisted of 503 women between the ages of 12 and 19. The survey was analyzed using both regression and univariate analysis of the data. The findings revealed that a high percentage of the teens have initiated sexual activity; yet few (4.2%) have ever used modern contraceptive methods. Suggestions were made for family planning programs that would involve both parents and their children.

This dissertation examines the role of nongovernmental public action (NGPA) in the controversial field of adolescent fertility in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile) and Montevideo (Uruguay). Embracing a comparative perspective the study investigates the modes in which national policy and institutional environments shape the role of civil society organizations and their margins of autonomy vis a vis other powerful actors such as the State and the Catholic church. Forty one organizations whose mission includes the prevention of teenage pregnancy or the support of teenage parents were studied using a multi-method approach to explore cross national similarities and differences. An exhaustive account of national and subnational policies and programs in this field demonstrates the existence of isomorphic trends in the treatment and framing of adolescent reproductive behavior as a critical issue of public policy in each country. Similarly in all three countries women’s rights organizations play a critical role in the legal recognition and enforcement of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive rights while pro-poor organizations are fundamental actors in addressing the specific needs of teenage mothers and their children. However, important cross national differences were found regarding the modes in which NGPA engages with governmental agencies. As distinctive national marks, the study reveals a strong presence of NGOs in the role of rights watchdogs and monitors in Argentina, a strong alliance between central government structures and technical NGOs to confront resistances to reforms in Chile, and the utilization of NGOs as service providers in detriment of their participation in phases of policy design in Uruguay. Although the language of rights has colonized most of the surveyed organizations, adult-centric practices and discourses are still defining the interaction with adolescents. Adolescent’s demands are rarely voiced and only a few organizations favor their engagement in contentious politics and community activism. Nongovernmental autonomy is severely curtailed as a result of the influence of religion, and the lack of state modernization or financial opportunities, in the three countries. On theoretical grounds, the study highlights the importance of public policy as the arena where the potential of civil society can be maximized. / text

Au Mexique, la fécondité adolescente est présentée aujourd’hui comme un des problèmes sociaux majeurs. Cette thèse souhaite contribuer à la compréhension de l’évolution des dynamiques familiales de femmes devenues mères à l’adolescence dans un contexte urbain en pleine mutation. Elle compare trois cohortes de femmes nées dans la seconde moitié du XXe siècle, période de profondes transformations sociodémographiques au Mexique (baisse de la fécondité, augmentation du niveau scolaire des filles, entrée des femmes sur le marché du travail, etc.). Nous avons opté pour une approche longitudinale afin de saisir comment cette fécondité précoce s’inscrit plus largement dans la transition à l’âge adulte. À partir de la naissance du premier enfant, nous analysons la trajectoire familiale des femmes, selon trois axes majeurs : la composition du ménage, l’histoire conjugale et le parcours reproductif. Obtenus sur la base des données de l’enquête biographique rétrospective EDER (2011) et d’entretiens semi-directifs menés dans la ville de Tijuana, les résultats révèlent que la « précocité » du processus de formation familiale en milieu urbain ne renvoie pas nécessairement à des trajectoires familiales « spécifiques ». Chez ces mères adolescentes, dans un contexte où les rapports de genre sont fortement inégalitaires et où les normes sociales régissant l’accueil du premier enfant sont strictes, les relations intergénérationnelles ainsi que la nature des relations avec le conjoint auront une influence sur le devenir de leur trajectoire familiale. / In Mexico, adolescent fertility is presented today as one of the major social problems. This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of the evolution of the family dynamics of women who became mothers during adolescence in a changing urban context. It compares three generations of women born in the second half of the twentieth century, a period of profound socio-demographic changes in Mexico (fertility decline, the increase of women education level, entry of women into the labor market, etc.). We have chosen a longitudinal approach to understand how this early fertility fits into the transition to adulthood. From the birth of the first child, we analyze the family trajectory of women, according to three major axes : the composition of the household, the marital history and the reproductive path. Obtained on the basis of data from the EDER retrospective biographical survey (2011) and semi-structured interviews in the city of Tijuana, the results reveal that the "precocity" of the process of family formation in urban areas does not necessarily means "specific" family trajectories. For those adolescent mothers, in a context where gender relations are highly unequal and social norms governing the settling-in the new-born child are strict, intergenerational relationships and the nature of relationships with the spouse will have an influence on the future of the family life course.