The objective of this study is to understand the perceptions, beliefs, and influencing factors that may lead to different fertility outcomes among young women in Nicaragua, a country with one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in Latin America. The results are based on qualitative data collected in urban areas. Miriam Müller reveals that two structural constraints affect women's choices and their capacity to actively participate in defining their life paths: poverty and traditional gender norms.This book contributes to the discussion of intergenerational transmission of poverty by disentangling the mechanisms behind decision-making around teenage motherhood and by describing the consequences of these decisions. Contents ■ Agency, Aspirations, and Identity Development ■ Immediate Barriers or Facilitators of Sexual and Reproductive Decision-Making ■ Norms around Women's (and Men's) Roles in Relationships ■ Opportunities and Teenage Pregnancy: The Role of Education and Employment ■ Enabling Environments to Develop Resilience ■ Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy - a Gendered Poverty Trap Target Groups ■ Lecturers and students of sociology, social work, gender studies, health sciences, Latin American studies ■ Employees in development cooperation in the fields of youth, health, education and gender equity The Author Dr. Miriam Müller is a sociologist working on gender and development. She has worked in Asia, Latin America and Africa and focuses on qualitative research.