Guatemala

Weekly global roundup: Understanding rape in the Congo; Mobile phones prevent maternal deaths in Kenya; Ontario puts safeguards in place for sex workers; Teen pregnancy rises swiftly in Guatemala.

Follow Jessica Mack on Twitter, @fleetwoodjmack

Adolescent fertility rates in Latin America and the Caribbean surpass the world average, and more than 1 in 3 women in the region give birth before the age of 20. In rural areas, the adolescent birth rate is even higher. Peer education is one strategy for reaching large numbers of youth in rural areas.

Follow IPPFWHR on Twitter, @IPPF_WHR

Because much of my research has focused on reforming intercountry adoption and most especially Guatemala, I opened Siegal’s “Finding Fernanda” cautiously. By the end of this captivating read, it is impossible to see Alvarado as anything but a strong and resilient woman who is determined to fight circumstances of poverty and oppression.

There are so many courageous women around the world engaged in peace work at all levels, including protest. But they are often met with violence, rape, or torture.

Monica Potts comes on to address the problems with "No Wedding No Womb". Also, revelations about unethical STD testing in Guatemala in the 40s, and the radicalism of Prop 62 in Colorado.

Follow Amanda Marcotte on Twitter, @amandamarcotte

Since the publication of my original article on surrogacy in Guatemala, a number of people have thanked me for exploring global surrogacy. But the director of one adoption agency requested a retraction of the story.  More on that here.

As international adoption has become more difficult, the global surrogacy industry has begun to surge to meet the fertility demands of individuals and couples seeking to secure healthy infants.