The latest statistics of teen pregnancy in El Salvador cite a very depressing revelation about the country's rape culture and stigma that comes with it, including when the victims decide to pursue an abortion.
According to a report from Reuters on Wednesday, November 19, many teens who were raped and later became pregnant decided to end their life since the government bans abortion in all types of circumstances, even if the pregnancy places the life of the mother in serious danger.
Based on the newest figures, as many as three out of eight teen mothers, or those who are below 19 years old, committed suicide.
Most of these girls are raped by gang members who also killed young women after sexually abusing them, leaving their usually mutilated bodies in undetected graves. Others have been sexually abused by their own relatives, fathers, or stepfathers.
However, inasmuch as they want to seek professional help, they can't as they are threatened by their perpetrators. In cases where fathers are the ones who committed the crime, teens are often advised to avoid reporting so heads of the family can continue working.
Moreover, more than 1,000 girls below 15 years old had been raped in 2013 even if the country makes it a crime to engage in a sexual intercourse with girls of such ages.
Many of these rapes then result to pregnancies. El Salvador is one of the countries in Latin America with the highest pregnancy rates among teens between 10 and 19 years old.
Yet pregnant mothers suffer the stigma that comes with it, such as being rejected by her own family and friends or being shamed for what has happened to her.
This eventually drives them to resort to illegal abortion, which only places their lives at risk, or commit suicide. Those who have been discovered to experience abortion, even a miscarriage, may be arrested and sent to prison.
In the UN, more than 10 countries have opposed the complete abortion ban imposed by El Salvador. These nations that submitted their statements of opposition include France, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
