Adolescent pregnancy

Alternative names:

pregnancy - teenage; teenage pregnancy

Prevention:

Various models for adolescent pregnancy prevention currently exist. Programs tend to focus on a particular approach to the issue of teen pregnancy or use a combination of approaches. The majority of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs utilize methods which typically fall into the following categories.

Abstinence education programs encourage postponing sexual involvement until marriage or until a person is mature and skilled enough to handle sexual activity in a responsible manner and able to manage and be responsible for a potential pregnancy.

Knowledge based programs focus upon teaching adolescents about their bodies and normal functions as well as providing detailed information about contraceptives.

Clinic-focused programs provide easier access to information, counseling by health care providers, and contraceptive services. Many of these are through school-based clinics that offer a full range of ambulatory health care services.

Peer counseling programs typically involve older, well-known and respected teens to facilitate discussions that explore the feelings and attitudes about managing the physical urges confronted in relationships, then encourage other teens to resist peer and social pressures to become sexually involved. These programs tend to take more of an experiential approach, helping teens to personalize risks. They also teach skills, through role playing and other methods, to confront the pressure to become sexually involved. Peer counseling programs also provide, for those teens already involved in sexual activities, the skills to negotiate within relationships and the information needed to obtain and successfully use contraceptives.