This study examines the prevalence and determinants of adolescents' unintended pregnancy and induced abortion in Owerri, Nigeria. A pre-coded questionnaire was used to obtain information from 540 female adolescents of mean age 15.8 years. In addition, four FGDs were held with female adolescents in selected localities and in-depth interviews held ...

This study examined the associations between health risk behaviors (i.e., substance use behaviors, physical violence, or carried a weapon) and multiple adolescent pregnancies (i.e., experiencing or causing more than one pregnancy). We analyzed 1999-2003 data (3 years: 1999, 2001, and 2003) from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a nationally ...

Although South Africa's total fertility rate is one of the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, high rates of early childbearing remain a concern. Most teenage pregnancies occur among poor black and coloured South Africans. The majority of these pregnancies are said to be unwanted and unplanned and the teenager's relationships, unstable. ...

Disparities in teen pregnancy rates are explained by different rates of sexual activity and contraceptive use. Identifying other components of risk such as race/ethnicity and neighborhood can inform strategies for teen pregnancy prevention. Data from the 2005 and 2007 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Surveys were used to model ...

Unintended pregnancy rates typically include all women in the denominator. This understates adolescent rates because many adolescents are not sexually active. When rates are recalculated including only sexually active people, adolescents aged 15-19 years have the highest rates, arguing for a continued focus on adolescents in efforts to reduce unintended ...

This article begins with an overview of teenage pregnancy within a social context. Data are then presented on conceptions and repeat conceptions in teenagers. Social predictors of repeat teenage pregnancy are grouped according to social ecological theory. A brief summary of prevention of teenage pregnancy in general is followed by ...

Most literature concerning unintended pregnancy in Brazil highlights a link between 'adolescent pregnancy', poverty, marginality and gender inequality. Young women are seen to suffer disadvantages in the course of their lives due to unplanned pregnancies at an early age. This paper questions this picture, emphasising the ways in which adolescent ...

During pregnancy, growth of the foetus depends on an adequate glycine supply because it is needed for synthesis of fetal DNA, collagen and serine. Since pregnant adolescent girls give birth to lower birth weight babies, it is possible that they do not produce sufficient glycine to meet overall demands as ...

PURPOSE: Legislation that restricts abortion access decreases abortion. It is less well understood whether these statutes affect unintended birth. Given recent increases in teen pregnancy and birth, we examined the relationship between legislation that restricts abortion access and unintended births among adolescent women. METHODS: Using 2000-2005 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring ...

Early marriage, less awareness of family life education, low socio economic condition and burden of large families in rural area are the contributory factors to high teenage pregnancy and its complications. A rural health centre based cross sectionals study was under taken over six month period among teenage (10-19 years) ...

BACKGROUND: Some adolescents have special health care needs. Privacy concerns, unawareness or ethnical/cultural factors are barriers to women visiting obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYNs). The utilization of OB/GYN services by adolescent girls is seldom reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern and consequences of first visits to OB/GYNs by ...

To investigate the association of cocaine and marijuana use during adolescent pregnancy in São Paulo-SP, Brazil, with psychiatric disorders, social status and sexual history. One thousand pregnant adolescents were assessed by using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and sociodemographic and socio-economic questionnaire at the obstetric center of a public hospital ...

High adolescent fecundity principally affects developing countries. In spite of a decrease in the incidence of pregnancies in the developing countries over the past 13 years, the differences that exist with respect to developed countries turn adolescent fecundity into an indicator of the level of development of countries. The impact ...

This prospective study was established to determine the impact of maternal circulating androgen levels during normal pregnancy on ovarian function, as determined by early follicular phase antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels, inhibin B levels, and antral follicle count (AFC) in 244 female offspring in adolescence. Maternal circulating total testosterone levels at ...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a leading cause of maternal mortality during pregnancy. DVT and PE are commonly suspected due to many mimicking signs and symptoms that are normal in pregnancy. However, validated diagnostic approaches are lacking, and a fear of teratogenic/oncogenic ...

Recently, we showed that following pregnancy and 6 months of lactation, adolescents cease linear growth and have reduced fat and lean mass in rural Bangladesh. Here, we examined whether these changes varied by pregnancy outcomes such as fetal loss, low birthweight (LBW) and neonatal mortality. Anthropometric measurements were taken among ...

To evaluate adolescent pregnancy and obstetric outcomes. This retrospective cohort study was performed by analysis of patient files and birth records of pregnant women who delivered in two cities in Southeast Anatolia, Turkey. Pregnant women aged 19 years old and younger were included in the study group. Women between 20 ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between pregnant teenage girls (age <20 yrs) and pregnant adults (age 20-34 yrs). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Seven hundred and fifty pregnant teenagers admitted and delivered at Rajavithi Hospital during November 8, 2006 and December 22, 2007 were enrolled in the study. A control ...

Many western nations continue to have high rates of teenage pregnancies and births, which can result in adverse outcomes for both mother and child. This study identified possible antecedents of teenage pregnancy using linked data from administrative sources to create a 14-year follow-up from a cross-sectional survey. Data were drawn ...

The siblings of teenage parents are known to be at very high risk of teenage pregnancy, but little is known about how an older sister's childbearing affects a younger sibling's risk. Understanding these influences could help address the very high rates of pregnancy and childbearing among Latino adolescents. From 2005 ...

Most pregnancies in adolescents are unintended and preventable if contraception were utilized. IUDs provide an under-utilized highly effective form of contraception. IUDs are appropriate for nulliparous women, including adolescents. IUDs do not increase: the incidence of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease after the 1st month of insertion, the odds of infertility, nor ...

This study explores birth outcomes and determinants in adolescent pregnancies, using subjects drawn from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study (TBCS) from 2005. Through completed interviews and surveys with mothers or other family members, differences in birth outcomes and personal, pregnancy and social profiles of mothers were analyzed. A total of ...

INTRODUCTION: Sexuality is an important part of health and well-being. Sexual behavior modifies as pregnancy progresses, influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. AIM: To evaluate changes in sexual perceptions and activities during pregnancy and to determine sexual dysfunctions in that period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sexual perceptions (desire from the ...

OBJECTIVES: This report presents detailed pregnancy rates for 1990-2005, updating a national series of rates extending since 1976. METHODS: Tabular data on pregnancy rates by age, race and Hispanic origin, and by marital status are presented and briefly described. RESULTS: in 2005, an estimated 6,408,000 pregnancies resulted in 4.14 million ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare blood pressure (BP) in adolescence (11-12 years) among the offspring of preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. METHOD: SBP and DBP of 181 girls and boys born after pregnancies with preeclampsia were measured and compared with the BP of 356 age-matched girls and boys of normotensive pregnancies. The association ...

Reducing rates of teenage pregnancy is an important part of the agenda of action for meeting most of the Millenium Development Goals. South Africa has important lessons for other countries in this regard as the rate of teenage pregnancy is high but has declined very substantially over the last twenty ...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the sexual function and to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among teenagers and adult women during pregnancy using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). METHODS: A cohort study was conducted with 271 healthy pregnant women presenting a stable relationship with their partners. These ...

PURPOSE: This study's purpose was to compare dental visits and oral health knowledge of African American (AA) and Hispanic American (HA) pregnant adolescents in a community health clinic. METHODS: Demographics, oral health knowledge, oral hygiene, and dental visits during pregnoncy were surveyed by anonymous questionnaire to adolescents who were pregnant ...

PURPOSE: After dramatic declines in teen births and pregnancies from 1991 to 2005, teen birth rates in the United States increased in 2006 and 2007. We examined behavioral determinants of these trends and the likely direction of future trends. METHODS: Pregnancy risk was estimated based on recent sexual activity, method ...

Early marriage and confinement are contributing factors to high maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. To assess the magnitude of the problem of teenage pregnancy and its complications. A hospital-based cohort study was undertaken over 4 months among women admitted to a rural hospital in West Bengal. The study cohort ...

CONTEXT: The prenatal antecedents of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are not known, but prenatal androgen exposure is thought to contribute. This has not previously been investigated in large prospective studies of normal human pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to establish the prospective relationship between early life androgen ...

Preventing adolescent pregnancy is a national research priority that has had limited success. In the present study, the authors examined whether Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) relative to intervention services as usual (group care [GC]) decreased pregnancy rates among juvenile justice girls mandated to out-of-home care. Girls (13-17 years of ...

OBJECTIVES: To explore teenagers' beliefs about emergency contraception (EC) within a Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework. METHODS: Six single sex focus groups comprising a total of 25 female and 23 male pupils aged 13-16 years conducted in schools in Central England. RESULTS: Attitudes to emergency contraception (EC) were mainly ...

Female orphans are widely cited as being at risk for early marriage, early childbearing, and risky sexual behavior; however, to date no studies have examined these linkages using population-level data across multiple countries. This study draws from recent Demographic and Health Surveys from ten sub-Saharan African countries to examine the ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite decades of research, development and evaluation of educational and promotional strategies to prevent teenage pregnancy, we have only a limited understanding of the strategies that are effective and why. This study sought to explore female teenagers' attitudes, perceptions and experiences of contraceptive use, and describe the ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether teenage pregnancy and Indigenous status are associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional descriptive analysis of nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies who delivered at the sole tertiary obstetric hospital in Western Australia between June 2004 and September 2006, using ...

Among a hypothetical cohort of 11-18-year-old females, we used a probabilistic decision tree model to estimate the number of pregnant adolescent females potentially receiving contraindicated vaccines during well child exams, and to determine the impact of two different pregnancy screening strategies on pregnancy detection rates, vaccine administration and pregnancy detection-associated ...

Pregnancy rates in the United States seem to have stabilized in the past decade but continue to be higher than those in other industrialized nations. Although abstinence and barrier methods are available and efficient in preventing pregnancy, a comprehensive approach is a better choice when counseling patients on available options. ...

CONTEXT: Contraceptive knowledge and use at first sex have increased over time among Jamaican adolescents, yet high unintended pregnancy rates persist. More information on risk factors for adolescent pregnancy is needed to inform programs. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with 15-17-year-old females-250 who were currently pregnant and 500 sexually experienced, ...

BACKGROUND: The determinants of teenage sexual health, including pregnancies, can be addressed from social, familial and individual level perspectives. The main objective of this study was to examine whether pregnancy among 18 years old and younger girls were associated with selected individual (age at coitarche, score of sexual health knowledge, ...

To evaluate the effectiveness of youth development in reducing teenage pregnancy, substance use, and other outcomes. Prospective matched comparison study. 54 youth service sites in England. Young people (n=2724) aged 13-15 years at baseline deemed by professionals as at risk of teenage pregnancy, substance misuse, or school exclusion or to ...

Teenage pregnancies are increasing and need special attention. The aim of this retrospective study, conducted from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 at the maternity department of the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital, Cameroon, was to analyze the evolution of pregnancy and delivery in primiparous teenagers. The medical files of ...

BACKGROUND: Unintended pregnancy among adolescents represent an important public health challenge in developed and developing countries. Numerous prevention strategies such as health education, skills-building and improving accessibility to contraceptives have been employed by countries across the world, in an effort to address this problem. However, there is uncertainty regarding the ...

To determine the impact on teenage pregnancy of interventions that address the social disadvantage associated with early parenthood and to assess the appropriateness of such interventions for young people in the United Kingdom. Systematic review, including a statistical meta-analysis of controlled trials on interventions for early parenthood and a thematic ...

OBJECTIVES: Texas birth records and population projections were used to simulate pregnancy rates among women ages 15-19 years from 2005 to 2015. METHODS: Monte Carlo simulation based on historical rates of natural increase, contraceptive failure and sexual experience among racial/ethnic groups of teenaged women was used for numerical projections. These ...

This study examines transitions in schooling, sexual activity, and pregnancy among adolescents and young adults in urban South Africa. Data are analyzed from the Cape Area Panel Study (CAPS), a recently collected longitudinal survey of young adults and their families in metropolitan Cape Town. We find that teen pregnancy is ...

Although unwanted pregnancies can cause social and economic problems for Sub-Saharan African youth, the consequences of intended adolescent pregnancies have gone unnoticed. Rarely do studies recognize that youth who desire a pregnancy are less likely to practice safe sex and, therefore, are at greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections ...

PURPOSE: Conventional practice for initiating oral contraceptive (OC) pills involves waiting to start the pills with the next menstrual period. We investigated whether immediate initiation of OCs would lead to improved continuation rates and therefore decreased pregnancy rates in adolescents aged 12-17 years. METHODS: Study subjects were recruited from adolescent ...

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing evidence that youth exposure to sexual content on television shapes sexual attitudes and behavior in a manner that may influence reproductive health outcomes. To our knowledge, no previous work has empirically examined associations between exposure to television sexual content and adolescent pregnancy. METHODS: Data from a ...

Little is known about what factors adolescent males consider important when making decisions concerning the resolution of an unplanned pregnancy with a teenage partner. Young men's influence on pregnancy outcome decisions can play an important part in the subsequent psychological adjustment of the female. The present report draws on data ...