In order to promote comprehensive health among adolescents, the Educational Program for Health Work (PET-Saúde) conducts integrated activities in the São Marcos neighborhood in northeast Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The current study focuses on the relevance of teenage pregnancy as a health problem in the program's coverage area. A retrospective observational study was conducted to determine the number of pregnant teenagers in the coverage area of the São Marcos Health Unit. Information was used from the Ministry of Health database (Datasus), recorded from June 2009 to May 2010. Complications of pregnancy, miscarriages, and premature deliveries recorded in Sinasc/Datasus (Ministry of Health) were tabulated for the year 2009. Among the pregnant women in the database, 22.1% were adolescents. Of the 33 records, 45.4% were 18 or 19 years of age. There was no statistical association between teenage pregnancy and prematurity (p = 0.29) or miscarriage (p = 1.0). In conclusion, the high teenage pregnancy rate in the coverage area is worrisome, confirming the need for a specific approach to its prevention in this population.
Pregnancy; Adolescent Health; Sex Counseling; Education; Comprehensive Health Care
