bolaños, Jalisco Faces Crisis of Teenage Pregnancy, Rate Comparable to African Nations
Guadalajara, Jalisco – September 15, 2025 – The municipality of bolaños, Jalisco, is experiencing a teenage pregnancy rate of 139 births per thousand adolescents, a figure comparable to rates seen in some african countries, according to Gabriela Rodríguez Ramírez, Technical secretary of the National Population Council (Conapo). The alarming statistic was revealed at the forum “Advances adn challenges in sexual justice towards childhoods and adolescents,” organized by Morena deputy candelaria Ochoa Ávalos.
Rodríguez emphasized that no girl between the ages of 15 and 19 should be a mother in Mexico or Jalisco. She identified Mezquitic, Cihuatlán, and Poncitlán as other Jalisco municipalities with high teenage pregnancy rates, with Poncitlán reporting 87 births per thousand teenagers and San cristóbal de la Barranca also among the highest.
Conapo is urging coordinated efforts between the Secretariats of Education and Health to address the issue in these high-incidence municipalities. While Mexico has seen a 30% reduction in teenage pregnancy between 2015 and 2025 – dropping from 77 to 50 births per thousand adolescents – states with higher poverty levels continue to struggle with disproportionately high rates. Guerrero currently reports 82 births per thousand teenagers, and Chiapas reports 78, while Mexico City stands at 20 and Jalisco at 43.
Rodríguez also highlighted a concerning correlation between teenage pregnancy and school dropout,noting that 12% of adolescents in the country leave school due to pregnancy or entering a couple.She stressed that teenage pregnancy is a key indicator of poverty and must be eradicated, reminding that marriage is prohibited before the age of 18.
