Motherhood in adolescents’ lives: Implications for action

Abstract

Based on the findings from two qualitative studies, this article analyzes motherhood’s mean­ings for those young women living in poverty. One study explored motherhood’s meanings attributed by 25 mothers from 18 to 20 years old who had a pregnancy during adolescence. The other study examined social representations about the characteristics of early mother­hood in 24 non-parents men and women teenagers, in order to understand the culture in which the young mothers live. Results suggest that motherhood represents a positive change for most young women and it structures their identity. The implications of these findings for primary and secondary prevention in this field are discussed.