For several decades, concerns have been mounting in the United States
about adolescent sexual behavior, pregnancy, and parenthood. These concerns
have been intensified by several realizations. First, rates of adolescent
births in the United States are much higher--from two to ten times higher--than
in other industrialized societies. Second, although teen birth rates are
lower now than they were after World War II, there have been increases
in rates of adolescent childbearing in the U.S. since the mid 1980's; birth
rates among teens currently are nearly one-quarter higher than they were
in 1986. Third, adolescent childbearing outside of marriage has been increasing
for several decades and at a very rapid pace. Of all births to young women
under age 20, only 15 percent were nonmarital in 1960, compared to 30 percent
in 1970, 48 percent in 1980, and 71 percent in 1992. Another reason for
attention to the issue of adolescent pregnancy and birth is that the overwhelming
majority of adolescents do not want to become parents this soon. Among
all pregnancies to females under age 20, the proportion that were unintended
was 84 percent in 1990. Moreover, there is increasing concern about adolescent
sexual intercourse per se, not only because it leads to unintended pregnancy
and parenthood, but also because sexually active adolescents have extremely
high rates of sexually transmitted infections and are at risk of exposure
to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Finally, initial sexual experiences
are often coercive. Indeed, before age 15, a majority of first intercourse
experiences among females are reported to be non-voluntary. Coercion is
not only a problem in its own right, but is presumed to be associated with
poor protection from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
from
BEGINNING TOO
SOON: ADOLESCENT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, PREGNANCY AND
PARENTHOOD
A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND INTERVENTIONS
by Kristin A. Moore, Brent C. Miller, Barbara W. Sugland, Donna Ruane
Morrison, Dana A. Glei, Connie Blumenthal.
04-Apr-97
US Government Department of Health and Human Services: Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)