Study Cites Need To Address Adolescents' Perceptions of Childbearing

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A large number of urban adolescent females have positive perceptions about childbearing at a young age, according to an article in the current Journal of Adolescent Health. The authors state that while health professionals have assumed that teens become pregnant "because they lacked the knowledge, resources, or skills necessary to avoid it," there are indications that "many adolescent girls may consciously want to become pregnant or simply may not mind becoming pregnant."

Although childbearing during adolescence can result in physiological problems (e.g., low birthweight, preterm delivery) and social and economic consequences (e.g., decreased educational and career opportunities), this study found that a large number of urban adolescent females believe that giving birth could benefit them by providing them with adult status and a source of love. Using a scale developed for this study, researchers found that the adolescent females believed having a baby would not interfere with their ability to finish high school and would make them feel needed. Respondents most likely to report these perceptions included Latina adolescents, adolescent females who did not expect to attend college, and adolescent females who hoped to have large families.

The authors caution against generalizations about causality and related issues, noting that nearly 75% of the group studied was Hispanic/Latina and had self-reported levels of sexual activity far below those found in other nationwide studies. Nonetheless, the authors write that "pregnancy prevention programs may be more effective if they address adolescents' unrealistic positive illusions about the consequences of teenage childbearing and their perceptions of invulnerability to negative outcomes, rather than merely teaching them how to use contraceptives."

Unger JB, Malina GB, Teran L. 2000. Perceived consequences of teenage childbearing among adolescent girls in an urban setting. Journal of Adolescent Health 26(3):205-212.

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MCH Alert. 2001. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. http://www.ncemch.org/alert.