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    When Jorling was only 15 years old she found out she was pregnant, like many other young women in Nicaragua.Two and a half months into her pregnancy, Jorling became ill and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. A few days later, she suffered a miscarriage. "I went to the hospital several times for bleeding, but they never explained anything to me, not until I came to the Centre for Adolescents," she says. Despite her loss, Jorling is more confident about her future after attending the Bertha Calderon Hospital Centre for Adolescents, where she and her boyfriend learned how to stay healthy and avoid unwanted pregnancies. Now, she plans to continue her studies and pursue a professional career. Founded in 1994, the Bertha Centre, in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, offers health care, education and training about sexual and reproductive health for young people. Since Nicaragua has the highest teen pregnancy rate in latin America, there is an urgent need for these services. It receives backing from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Japanese Government. Support for the Bertha Centre is just one one example of how UNFPA works to empower women in developing countries. The agency promotes reproductive health and rights, lower infant and maternal mortality, and gender equality and equity. Many of UNFPA’s programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean focus on the needs of teenagers like Jorling and her boyfriend. Several young people who visited the Centre are now exchanging important information with their peers. They speak at schools, universities and in their neighbourhoods, about reproductive health, gender violence and how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV/AIDS. Jorling has become one of those advocates. "Later on I will have time to become pregnant again and have children," she says. FIND OUT HOW UNFPA works to give young women the chance to take care of their health and manage their lives. Click on the links next to Jorling. ADDITIONAL STORIES ABOUT WOMEN:Lolona learns to read in 30 days | Marie finds her voice | Life is safer for Monica | Fresh Hope and a Bright Future for Aisatu | Beijing+10 Women's Stories Photo credit: UNFPA |
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