A 10-year-old girl is being treated at the Juan Pablo Pina Regional Hospital in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, after complaining about stomachaches and nausea, which turned out to be the symptoms of a pregnancy. It's still a mystery if the little girl, whose name is unknown for privacy reasons, was raped or if she agreed to have sexual intercourse.
Public Health and Social Assistance Minister Freddy Hidalgo said that this event is a "real tragedy," and issued a call to the parents of youngsters and teenagers to "take more responsibility" for their children to prevent situations like this from occurring.
The minister said that he cannot say whether the pregnant girl's parents are responsible for their daughter's situation, but he expressed the opinion that in the majority of similar cases "the irresponsibility with which the parents of minors in conditions of vulnerability have acted has been proven."
However, a significant percentage of the Dominican population blame the weak educational system and the lack of sexual education in schools, at the same time many religious protesters oppose a new law that will force schools to include this class in their yearly plan. Nevertheless, approaching this subject in schools will help parents "have the talk" with their kids more comfortably.
Many parents have also recognized that there are many taboos surrounding sexuality in the Dominican Republic and some still don't feel comfortable talking about it, and although they would rather have a professional approach the subject, others don't want their kids to be exposed to it at all.
Although sex is a very sensitive subject in the Caribbean island, the numbers are something to be worried about. From April to June, 1,811 pregnant minors have been treated by hospitals. Seventy one of them were between 10 and 14 years old and the rest were between the ages of 15-19.
To help raise awareness about child and teenage pregnancy, Hidalgo announced that the Public Health Ministry will increase the funds destined to prevention campaigns.
In Dominican Republic, 22 percent of the population is in their teens. Out of that number, 20 percent is a mother or has been pregnant. Amarilis Herrera, the president of the Dominican Medical College, says it's unfortunate the amount of pregnant girls that arrive to the different maternity centers. "We need to prioritize sexual and reproductive health of the Dominican population, especially pre-teens and teenagers," she said, adding that she feels people in general are too afraid to approach it and talk about it.
As for the specific case of the 10-year-old pregnant girl, Freddy Hidalgo said that he had ordered the girl to be provided with the necessary medical and psychological attention at the hospital that is attending to her, and he gave instructions for her to receive assistance in her home as well.
Doctor Miguel Angel Geraldino, the director of the Juan Pablo Pina Regional Hospital where the girl is receiving treatment, said that because of the large number of pregnant teenagers in the region, the hospital created a special unit where all those cases are monitored from a health standpoint.
Less than a year ago another similar case was reported. An 11-year-old girl arrived to the same health center and received treatment for her pregnancy. However, she had been raped by a relative, who was later imprisoned. So far, details of the new case of the 10-year-old are still unknown, but reports say she is doing fine and her and her baby are healthy.
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