Teen Pregnancy

Introduction

Teen pregnancy is viewed as one of the major challenges to American society (Stoiber & Kratochwill, 4-9). This entry (a) describes factors contributing to teen pregnancy, (b) provides prevalence rates, (c) compares prevalence rates in the United States to other countries, and (d) reviews implications of teen pregnancy. In addition, a description of research-based components of teen pregnancy prevention programs is reviewed.

Contributing Factors

Teenage is generally conceptualized as the developmental period ranging from 13 to 19 years of age. Approximately 25% of sexually active individuals in the United States are adolescents. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) (2004), most teenagers ...