Responsabilidad y coordinación interinstitucional: Promoviendo una cultura de salud reproductiva para prevenir embarazos en adolescentes

Introduction: Reproductive health concerns adolescents, families and guiding institutions, inter-institutional coordination and reproductive health culture will be determinant to avoid adolescent pregnancies. Objective: To determine the responsibilities for reproductive health and to avoid adolescent pregnancies through effective coordination between health and educational institutions and the media. Method: This article used a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews approved with an average of 98% by five professionals, which were applied to managers (or their representatives) of three key institutions in the promotion of adolescent reproductive health in Peru: Member of a local educational management, Manager of a Health Center and Member of the Ministry of Women with a semi-structured questionnaire using 40 minutes for each one. Results: The results show that, in spite of some coordinated efforts of the institutions for the prevention of teenage pregnancies, it is circumscribed to the deputy directors of programs or designated heads because they have more frequent communications with the heads of the other related institutions, designated by the director of each institution.The interviewees agreed in involving families, institutions and the media. The coordinations could be delegated to the person in charge with ease of communication, soft skills and emotional balance. Conclusion: Coordination between those in charge and those delegated by the directors was fundamental to establish measures for reproductive health and to avoid pregnancies in adolescents; it was wise to choose those in charge who were approximately chronologically contemporary, with a willingness to serve and sensitivity.