Preventing Teenage Pregnancy

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Abstract
Teenage pregnancy is a social problem that has long concerned American citizens, policy makers, and social scientists. Despite that concern and notwithstanding the myriad negative consequences of an early unplanned pregnancy for young mothers and fathers, for their children, and for society, little progress has been made to understand the social and behavioral origins of teenage pregnancy. More important, practitioners and researchers have been sorely remiss in discovering proven, replicable, and socially acceptable ways to help American young people avoid unwanted pregnancies. Nascent data, however, have begun to shed empirical light not only on the underlying causes of pregnancy among adolescents, but also on strategies for reducing the risks of unplanned teenage pregnancy. By expanding that research and by translating research knowledge into practice wisdom, social scientists can advance the cause of adolescent pregnancy prevention. In so doing, we will appropriately address one of America's most pressing and neglected social problems.