Introduccion: el embarazo en la adolescencia se considera un problema de salud publica. Las medidas asistencialistas existentes, no inciden de manera decisiva en la educacion de las adolescentes, no tienen en cuenta el nicho familiar y social de pobreza que inducen a las adolescentes a una vida sexual activa a temprana edad. Alli intervienen factores de riesgo personal, familiar y social. Superarlos es cuestion de politica educativa y economica que fomente los derechos sexuales y reproductivos de la mujer. Objetivo: caracterizar factores sociales presentes en embarazadas adolescentes. Metodologia: estudio cualitativo de muestreo intencional, entrevistas y grupos focales, con analisis de acuerdo con la teoria fundamentada, en adolescentes gestantes que asisten a la Clinica de Maternidad Rafael Calvo, Cartagena, Colombia. Resultados: se observaron factores personales, familiares y sociales, matizados en narraciones que revelan: “mi familia no me prestaba atencion ni me fijaba limites…tenia el apoyo y amor de mi pareja, y aunque no estaba preparada para el embarazo, fue algo que quise para salir de mi casa”. O en otra expresion: “quede embarazada porque mis amigas tenian relaciones sexuales y me contaban…a mi como que me tentaron esos secretos”. Conclusion: se observo que las adolescentes embarazadas estaban en un contexto carente de opciones, que alimenta decisiones en conductas de riesgo. El Estado tiene la obligacion y la responsabilidad de proponer acciones sociales de prevencion. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2013;4(2):262-269 PALABRAS CLAVE Pobreza; Autonomia; Conducta de riesgo; Salud del Adolescente; Embarazo. SUMMARY Introduction: adolescent pregnancy is considered a problem of public health. The existing care measures do not influence, in a decisive way, in the education of the adolescents, they do not bear in mind neither the familiar niche nor the social niche of poverty that the adolescents have to affront, which lead them to an active sexual life to early age. Where, personal, familiar and social risk factors participate. To overcome them is a matter of educational and economic policies that promote the sexual and reproductive rights of the woman. Objective: to characterize the social factors that are present in pregnant adolescents. Methods: qualitative study of intentional sampling, interviews and focal groups with analysis according to the theory based on pregnant adolescents that attend to the Clinica Maternidad Rafael Calvo, Cartagena, Colombia. Results: personal, familiar and social factors were observed in stories that reveal: “My family did not pay attention to me and I did not fix my limits… I had the support and love of my partner, and although I was not prepared for the pregnancy, it was something that I wanted to go out of my house”. Or in another expression: “I remained a pregnant woman because my friends had sexual relationships and they were telling me… To me, these secrets touched me”. Conclusions: it was observed that pregnant adolescents were in a context lacking in options, which favor decisions in conducts of risk. The state has the obligation and the responsibility of proposing social actions of prevention. Rev.cienc.biomed.2013;4(2):262-269 KEYWORDS Poverty; Autonomy; Risk-Taking; Adolescent Health; Pregnancy.