The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) has introduced a new regulation, Resolution 174/2025, published in the Official Gazette No. 40 Ordinary of 2026, aimed at organizing and managing sexual and reproductive health services with a spotlight on adolescent pregnancy. However, this issue remains unresolved across the island.
This regulation, approved in 2025 but only recently made public, mandates that each instance of teenage pregnancy be reported to various state sectors to enhance social care and prevention. It involves ministries, agencies, and community-level mass organizations.
In a press briefing, Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, expressed concern about the ongoing situation: "The adolescent fertility rate, or the percentage of adolescents who have become pregnant in recent years, is around 19%."
While acknowledging a slight improvement, Guerra Izquierdo cautioned against complacency: "There has been a 1% reduction from 2024 to 2025, but we remain dissatisfied with the current state of affairs."
According to official MINSAP statistics, adolescents made up 18.2% of all pregnancies in Cuba in 2025.
Underlying Issues and Statistics
Guerra Izquierdo also pointed to deeper issues: "We have clearly identified persistent knowledge gaps and a lack of risk perception among families."
The demographic figures paint a stark picture. The 2024 Demographic Yearbook from ONEI reported an adolescent fertility rate of 47.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19. Out of 71,358 babies born that year, 11,962 had mothers under 20, and 327 births involved mothers younger than 15.
Particularly alarming is the fact that 64.5% of teenage pregnancies in Cuba involve adult fathers, based on data from the Alas Tensas Gender Observatory and ONEI.
Efforts to Improve Contraceptive Access
Dr. Caterina Echivás, head of the Maternal and Child Care Program (PAMI), emphasized that the resolution aims to ensure adolescents have access to at least three contraceptive methods: "We need to provide adolescents, and the entire population, with the option to choose from three or more methods for their reproductive and sexual health."
Yet, Echivás noted that the availability of these resources is partly dependent on external donations: "We collaborate with the medicine industry and United Nations organizations that support us in donating and supplying contraceptives, condoms, and intrauterine devices."
This reliance is not a new development. Since 2018, Cuba has faced a chronic shortage of contraceptives, which worsened in 2025, leading young women to resort to illegal abortions using misoprostol or homemade concoctions.
By December 2025, over 70% of essential medicines were unavailable in Cuban pharmacies, directly impacting the country's maternal and infant health programs.
Although Resolution 174/2025 is the first comprehensive regulation of sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents in Cuba, critics argue that a mere decree cannot address the core issues: shortages of supplies, inadequate sexual education, and the troubling phenomenon of adults impregnating minors, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of the cases in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions about Adolescent Pregnancy in Cuba
What is the current adolescent pregnancy rate in Cuba?
As of 2025, the adolescent pregnancy rate in Cuba is approximately 19%.
What measures does the new regulation introduce?
The regulation mandates reporting of adolescent pregnancies to state sectors to improve care and prevention. It also involves ministries and community organizations in these efforts.
What are the challenges in accessing contraceptives in Cuba?
Cuba faces chronic shortages of contraceptives, partly due to reliance on external donations, impacting the availability of methods for adolescents.
How does the issue of adult fathers complicate adolescent pregnancies?
A significant concern is that 64.5% of adolescent pregnancies involve adult fathers, highlighting a complex social issue beyond just health and education.