This is what the life of a typical Dominican teen looks like:

Family Situation:  Living with mother and many half brothers/sisters, many have never met their fathers.

Housing:  2 or 3-room house, apartment, or shack.  Concrete or dirt floor; no indoor plumbing.

AIDS:  1 out of 20 will die of AIDS, with no way to pay for treatment.

Family Income:  $105 per month.  Mother works in free-trade zone (sweat shop).

Education:  60% of students drop out before high school.  Once in high school, (where the teachers average a 6th grade education), many youth (42%) drop out to help support their families.

Sexual Activity:  70% of girls have had sexual intercourse before the age of 18.  1 out of every 4 girls becomes an unwed teen mother.  Abortions are extremely common (80,000 a year).

Drugs/Alcohol:  Possibly using or selling drugs (use is highest among 10-20 year olds).  Alcohol is easily accessible and commonly seen being passed among teens driving on motorcycles.

Violence:  Over 20% of teenage deaths are due to violent rape or murder.

[Statistics are compiled from a CIA report in 1998, the Ministry of Education and D.R. Vice-President Milagro in 2002, the study Promotion of the Teenager, conducted by the Admin. Secretary to the President of the D.R. in 1996, and the Listin Diario in 2002.]