[Teenage motherhood and fatherhood: observations in three cities of Brazil].

This study describes young people from 18 to 24 years of age who experienced motherhood and fatherhood. The data are from a multi-center study (the GRAVAD Research Project) conducted in the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador through a household survey with a three-stage stratified probabilistic sample. Among a total of 4,634 interviewees, 17.9% of women and 6.3% of men became parents before the age of 20. Young fathers and mothers show low schooling and early participation in the work market. Most report a per capita monthly family income of some 150 US dollars. The existence of children motivates the marital union at a young age, during which the roles of male provider and female caregiver are reaffirmed. Even for young parents who have formed a new family nucleus themselves, their own original families provide a basis of material and affective support.