“Many of these pregnancies are not a deliberate choice, but rather the result, for example, of an abusive relationship,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. Complications in pregnancy and childbirth were one of the main causes of death in girls and women aged 15 to 24 in the Americas, it said, adding that the risks of maternal death were highest in girls who give birth before age 15. It also highlighted the toll on mental health - including depression and suicide - among girls, particularly those who had been raped, and said many girls who became pregnant quit school, which deprived them of an education. About 15 percent of all pregnancies were in girls younger than 20, with the highest teen pregnancy rates found in Central America, in particular Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama. Venezuela and Bolivia have the highest rates in South America