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  • Title: Adolescent unintended pregnancy: the scope of the problem.
    Journal: Contracept Rep; 1994 May; 5(2):4-5. PubMed ID: 12345546.
    Abstract:
    About 50% of the more than million adolescent pregnancies a year in the United States result in child birth. Abortion is used by 4 out of 10 pregnant adolescents (44%) to terminate unwanted pregnancy. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 1990 found that sexual activity was initiated earlier, and the percentage of students ever having sexual intercourse or having had intercourse in the 3 months prior to the survey increased from the 9th through the 12th grade. There has been little consensus on a solution to unwanted adolescent pregnancy. The obstacles to consensus are the contention over the morality of premarital sex. Abstinence promotion programs are pitted against sex education programs that teach responsible sexual behavior and provide access to contraception. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aims to reduce the number of sexually active 15-years-olds to 15% and of 17-year olds to 40%. The aim also is to increase contraceptive use by sexually active adolescents to at least 90%. Sexually transmitted disease awareness should also be promoted. Educational programs can provide students with the tools with which to postpone sexual intercourse. 50% of unmarried women and 60% of unmarried men aged 15-19 years have engaged in sexual intercourse. 25% of teenage women will become pregnant at least once before the age of 18 years. Almost 20% of those who have had a teenage pregnancy will have another within 1 year. 24% of all abortions in the US are to women aged 20 years. Two negative consequences of teenage child bearing are the greater likelihood of maternal and child health complications, and the requirement of government expenditures of over $25 billion in 1990 for social, health, and welfare services. About 33% of states and 20% of large school districts do not require or encourage the teaching of pregnancy prevention. There is no evidence to support the notion that sex education increases earlier or later sexual activity. Short term success has been achieved in some sex education programs.
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