This study aims to estimate the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy (AP) in threeBrazilian cities -Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and Porto Alegre -and to

Resumo: Este artigo tem o objetivo de discutir a construção da gravidez na adolescência enquanto um problema social. Visa também apresentar e analisar os dados da etapa qualitativa da pesquisa Gravidez naEste artigo é resultado das discussões coletivas dos dados qualitativos da pesquisa GRAVAD por todos os seus participantes. Por isto que, pouco usual na área da Antropologia, sua autoria é creditada a todos eles.

Public health interventions that are synergistic with trends in social norms are likely to be more effective than those that run counter to them. In France, sexual health and HIV prevention policies aimed at harm limitation appear to have chimed with secular trends. The evidence of greater diversification of sexual practices offers potential to increase the range of safer sex messages used in public health interventions.

This article explores trends in sexual behavior in Latin America, envisaged from a life-course perspective, taking into account social differences. It is focused on three main issues: the timing of early sexual and reproductive events, sexual activity during adulthood, and measurement of homosexuality-bisexuality. It draws on general population data from nonspecific surveys, as surveys dealing specifically with sexual behavior are scarce in Latin American countries. A traditional feature in these societies is the huge amount of social inequality, which translates directly into social differences in sexual experience, especially among women. Despite the decline in fertility, an early start of unions and of reproductive experience remains typical of groups with lower education. Another aspect is the diversity of national patterns and gender systems, very far from the image of cultural homogeneity generally associated with this region. Data show a low prevalence of homosexuality/bisexuality, which can be a result of underreporting. The paper eventually stresses the necessity of carrying out more sexual behavior surveys of the general population in the region.