Number of minors becoming mothers increase in Moldova

Chisinau, 24 November /MOLDPRES/ - The number of minors giving birth to children has increased in the last years. The acting head of the Chisinau municipal department for the protection of rights of the child, Lucia Caciuc, unveiled data to this effect at a roundtable.    

According to data by the Chisinau-based clinical hospital No 1, while in 2015, 36 teenagers became mothers, then in the next years, their number doubled. In the first six months of 2018 alone, 32 minors gave birth to children. One of them was 13 years old, two minors were 14 years of age, five - 15 years old and seven – 16. The rest of the girls became mothers at the age of 17.

Lucia Caciuc noted that none of the mothers abandoned their children. She also said that among the reasons for the births by minors were poverty, migration, presence of vices, lack of opportunities, social inequality, poor level of informing and sexual violence.   

Caciuc said that, to avoid such situations, it is necessary that people speak about the sexual education both at school and at home. At the same time, parents must be prepared to answer children’s questions in this respect, depending on their age and ability to understand.  

The ombudswoman for the rights of the child, Maia Banarescu, said that the sexual education must start from the tender age and the information should set forth gradually and must be understood by the child.