More than 1 million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant each year; nearly half give birth. Why do these young people, who are hardly more than children themselves, become parents? This volume reviews in detail the trends in and consequences of teenage sexual behavior and offers thoughtful insights on the issues of sexual initiation, contraception, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and the well-being of adolescent families. It provides a systematic assessment of the impact of various programmatic approaches, both preventive and ameliorative, in light of the growing scientific understanding of the topic.

Book Information
ISBN 9780309036986
Author Panel on Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing, National Research Council
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint National Academies Press
Publisher National Academies Press