Affective-sexual trajectories of adolescents in poverty and their intentional decisions-actions to become pregnant

Abstract

Objective: to understand how relational events, contraceptive positions and negotiations with the partner about having a child are implicated in the participants’ pregnancies. Method: A total of 16 pregnant young women aged between 15 to 19 years who became pregnant intentionally, selected from a socially vulnerable territory in a Brazilian state capital, participated in the study. Face-to-face interviews guided by themes were conducted, with additional use of the self-portrait, relational map, photo elicitation, and WhatsApp resources, considering Thematic Content Analysis concepts. Results: the pregnancies were intimately related to the intention of building a family with children, to the construction of affective-sexual trajectories directed at this outcome, with secondary contraception, and  to the decision of having a child, little reflected and negotiated, characterized by pressure, imposition and transfer of responsibility, exercised by both. Conclusion:  when discussing pregnancy during adolescence, health professionals must consider the subjective, relational, agency and social aspects imbricated in such choice.