Standing over the stove in the humid kitchen, peeling vegetables for her family’s lunch while her young daughter tugged at her jeans, Kayla told me that she wished she never met him. She was referring to her live-in partner, the father of her child who is still technically married to another woman, whom she first met when she was 15 and he 28. Now at 19, Kayla lives with him and her in-laws in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.

About one in four teen girls in Nicaragua have gotten pregnant or have given birth, in part, because they lack access to sexual and reproductive services, information, and products. Unintended teen pregnancy not only prevents girls like Kayla from finishing school and earning a living, it also puts them and their babies at risk of complications from pregnancy and childbirth.

With abortion outlawed - even if the woman’s life is in danger - and sex education forbidden in public schools, it’s unrealistic to think the government would address this public health crisis on its own. That’s why the private healthcare sector, nonprofit advocacy groups, and young women themselves are leading the way toward a future where girls have the power to make informed, healthy decisions for themselves and their families.

One leader in this movement is PASMO, the PSI affiliate in Central America that has been active in Nicaragua since 1998. PASMO is now the leading supplier of family planning methods in Nicaragua and holds an impressive 89% share of the condom market. Led by Dr. Guadalupe Canales, PASMO also manages a network of health clinics across Nicaragua through its social franchise called Red Segura.

Women and girls need to be at the center of any decision about their bodies, families, and future, but too often they are left out of the discussion.

Read the full article about empowering young mothers by creating access to sex education by Caitlin Heising at HuffPost.