|
|
Article: Why is teenage pregnancy declining? The roles of abstinence, sexual activity and contraceptive use.
- Article from:
- Why is Teenage Pregnancy Declining? The Roles of Abstinence, Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use
- Article date:
- December 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Guttmacher Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Occasional Report No. 1 December 1999
Introduction
The 1990s have witnessed sustained declines in teenage birthrates--a heartening development in view of the often negative effects of adolescent childbearing on young women and their children and the costs to society as a whole. (1) Teenage births should not be the only concern, however. More than three-quarters of pregnancies among teenagers each year are unintended, and more than one-quarter end in abortion; (2) therefore, helping young women avoid an unintended pregnancy is also an important public policy goal. Here, again, the news is encouraging: The teenage pregnancy rate also dropped in the 1990s. ...