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ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

S. U. S. ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY. By Joanne E. Cox Reviewed by S. Jean Emans. Adolescent Pregnancy Statistics. 1 Million pregnancies/year in girls < 20 years old 500,000 births 175,000 births to mothers < 17 years 72% of these births are to single mothers.

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ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

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  1. S U S ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY By Joanne E. Cox Reviewed by S. Jean Emans

  2. Adolescent Pregnancy Statistics • 1 Million pregnancies/year in girls < 20 years old • 500,000 births • 175,000 births to mothers < 17 years • 72% of these births are to single mothers

  3. Adolescent birth rate trends • Birth rates declined through the 1970s • Birth rates leveled off during the 1980s • Declining rates since 1991 • 1995 56.8 births/1000 to girls age 15-19

  4. US birth rates higher than other developed countries 1996 birth rates for 15-17 year olds Canada - 24.9/1000 US - 36/1000

  5. Consequences for the Children of Adolescent Mothers:

  6. Low-birthweight Infants • Risk increased for mothers <15 years old • Risk increased with poor prenatal care • Teen centered prenatal programs improve outcomes

  7. Childhood Health Problems • Receive less medical care and treatment • Increased risk for childhood accidents • Child abuse and neglect • Foster care

  8. Behavioral and School Issues • As infants, receive less verbalization • Do well as preschoolers • In school, increased behavioral problems • School dropout rates high • Cycle of teen childbearing

  9. Consequences for Adolescent Mothers • 30% teen mothers vs. 76% adult mothers earn a HS diploma by age 30 • Welfare reform now mandates school • Earning are not markedly different from their adult counterparts • Overall 50% increase in welfare dependency over time • Most single parents

  10. Risk Factors for Adolescent Pregnancy • Intro-familial factors • Parent who became pregnant during adolescence • Sibling who is a teen parent • Family dysfunction • Chronic multi-generational poverty • Personal beliefs

  11. Risk Factors for Adolescent Pregnancy(cont) • Social-cultural factors • Peers who are teen parents (cultural norms) • Educational failure • Hopelessness for the future • Depression • Pressure from young men who consider fatherhood equivalent to masculinity • History of sexual abuse

  12. Teen Pregnancy Prevention now a National Priority • National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy • formed by President Clinton in January 1996 • Multifaceted interventions are critical

  13. General Categories of Prevention • Abstinence based • Community/school-based which are improve knowledge • Skills building • Clinic based directed at contraceptive knowledge and availability • Media campaigns

  14. Important Caveats for Effective Strategies • Strong support from a responsible adult • Attention to basic cognitive skills and educational achievement • Attention to the world of work • Attention to the specific skills necessary to avoid pregnancy

  15. Other Factors which Influence Teen Pregnancy Risk • Roles of older males in teen pregnancy • Relationships between teen pregnancy-related behaviors and other risk behaviors • Sexual abuse associated with teen pregnancy

  16. Other Factors which Influence Teen Pregnancy Risk (cont) • Continuous media messages received by teens about sexuality and pregnancy • Shifts in social norms on out-of-wedlock pregnancies • General worsening of economic conditions for teens with more growing up in poverty

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