Adolescent fertility rates in Latin America and the Caribbean surpass the world average, and more than 1 in 3 women in the region give birth before the age of 20. In rural areas, the adolescent birth rate is even higher. This is partly due to severe income disparities between the rich and the poor in the region that translate into disparities in access, sexuality education, contraception and health care.

With nearly half the world's population under the age of 25, today’s generation of youth is the largest ever. Yet many young people lack access to the services and information they need to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Each year, there are an estimated 1.2 million unintended pregnancies among adolescent women in Latin America and the Caribbean, proportionally surpassing figures...

Below are news stories, blog posts, and other resources released this week regarding sexual and reproductive health Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean:

Planned Obsolescence: How to drive Planned Parenthood out of the abortion business. | Slate

The freedom to express our sexuality is an integral part of our happiness and well-being. However, people whose sexual orientation or gender identity does not conform to majority norms often face stigma and discrimination by the state and by society. Over 70 countries criminalize same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults, and in countries where the legal environment is more LGBT-...