Abstract

CORTES ORTIZ, MARÍA ENRIQUETA; VALENCIA MICOLTA, SUSANA GENITH  and  VASQUEZ TRUISSI, MARTHA LUCíA. My mind said no... my body said yes...": Pregnancy in school adolescents. av.enferm. [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.2, pp.57-70. ISSN 0121-4500.

Sexuality, as a very important dimension of the human being, is affected by culture where the meaning and symbols are immersed and which express how adolescents experience it from their cosmovision. This study describes, from the perspective of gender roles, the decision making process in regard to pregnancy of school adolescents. The study was a focused ethnography that was carried out during one year in a public educational institution from the District of Aguablanca in Cali, Colombia. Key informants were six school adolescents who have become mothers and as general informants, fifteen men, fifteen nonpregnant women, ten teachers and thirteen parents. In depth interviews took place and focus groups until data saturation. The Spradley method was used for the analysis. Based on ethnosemantic, four domains were identified which were related with gender, culture, education and the decision to get pregnant. Additionally, from the domain study, one was able to identify and group four cultural topics related with the meaning of being a woman during the adolescence, establishment of gender relations, family planning and the reality in respect of the disappointment of parents and frustration of the life project. Adolescents move in cultural environments of freedom, space and temporality that predispose them and rush them not only to live sexuality rapidly, but also to move from romantic love to passionate love.

Keywords : adolescent; pregnancy in adolescence; genitalia; gender identity; culture; sexuality.

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