Prevention of teenage pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is linked to several risk factors. Being poor, living in a single-parent household, child abuse, and risky behaviors such as drug abuse and early or unprotected sex are all predictors of whether a teenager will become pregnant . 


The three general strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy all try to increase the factors that protect teens against these risky behaviors. The first is an abstinence-only approach, which has not been shown to be effective . 


The second is comprehensive health education or sexuality education that includes information on contraception; this may delay sexual initiation and increase contraceptive use .
 Finally, youth development programs that include sex education along with other activities (such as volunteering, mentoring, and job training) are associated with delayed first sex and lower teenage pregnancy rates .


            Overall, there are no simple approaches; a strategy to reduce teenage pregnancy must include sexuality education, strategies for teen pregnancy prevention, and changing teenage behavior in relationships. Programs that seek to affect the teenage pregnancy rate should focus on increasing teens’ assets, such as knowledge about sex and sexuality and communication skills, that allow them to approach sexuality responsibly.