Teenage pregnancy is a phenomenon that causes concern due to its consequences. In this context, sex education has been considered as a good means of prevention. However, while teenage pregnancy prevails, sex education perspectives from the voices of teenage fathers and mothers remain under-explored. This qualitative study aimed at exploring sex…

Parent-child communication concerning sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has significant potential to reduce children's risky sexual behaviour. Despite these benefits, few parents communicate with their children about SRH issues in Uganda. Using multi-stage stratified sampling in a cross-sectional survey, we estimated the prevalence and…

Internet-based platforms present vital new venues for sex education. However, research is limited on the ways adolescents utilize these resources, particularly within user-generated content contexts. This study assesses the sexual health content adolescents seek online through a qualitative, directed content analysis of 365 user-generated posts in…

Clinical sexual health consultations with young women often focus on avoiding "risks;" namely pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection transmission. They also typically fail to explore how contraception use can impact on the capacity to enjoy sexual relationships. In contrast, this paper argues that sexual pleasure should be a…

This study examined longitudinal acculturation patterns, and their associations with family functioning and adolescent risk behaviors, in Hispanic immigrant families. A sample of 266 Hispanic adolescents (M[subscript age] = 13.4) and their primary parents completed measures of acculturation, family functioning, and adolescent conduct problems,…

Young people have questions about sex and development but may have trouble getting answers to them. Text messaging services can serve as a resource. This study analysed 1351 text messages sent to a sexual health text message service designed for young people in North Carolina to determine the types of questions asked of a confidential, accurate…

While many states mandate some type of sexuality education in schools, state legislation varies widely across the United States. Nevertheless, though much has been written about the behavioral outcomes of sexuality education programs shown to be effective at reducing one or more risky sexual behaviors in teenagers, less is known about the exact…

As they grow up, young people face important decisions about relationships, sexuality, and sexual behavior. The decisions they make can impact their health and well-being for the rest of their lives. Young people have the right to lead healthy lives, and society has the responsibility to prepare youth by providing them with comprehensive sexual…

As young people transition through childhood to adolescence, they often face developmental challenges that can impede their quest to become flourishing, healthy adults. While both males and females experience difficulties, there are certain risk factors to which males are more susceptible. Compared with females, males tend to be more likely to…

Teens typically fail to use contraceptives consistently, which contributes to high rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among this age group. Existing research has focused primarily on how teens' own characteristics are related to contraceptive use, but has paid less attention to how the characteristics of…

Asserts that cognitive skills that develop during adolescence are crucial to successful contraceptive practice and that practitioners must understand special developmental setting in which adolescent sexual growth and experimentation occur in order to impact contraceptive use. Demonstrates how health and medical providers can work together to…

Research on the effects of education on adolescents' contraceptive behaviors is summarized and 27 teaching strategies, each related to a particular contraceptive problem adolescents encounter, are outlined. (JMF)

Examined male transition-marking behaviors from adolescence into adulthood at first intercourse. Findings from 80 adolescent males revealed that alcohol use at first intercourse was unrelated to use of contraceptives at that time but was inversely related to whether first intercourse was planned. Planning was positively related to contraceptive…

Research using expectancy models has shown contraceptive choice among adults to be a rational process in that intentions and behaviors reflect an individual's beliefs, values, attitudes, and perceptions of social norms. This study examined whether such an approach could accurately represent adolescents' contraceptive decision-making. It used the…

This issue of Emphasis addresses the educator's role in confronting adolescent pregnancy by presenting articles on educational programs for adolescents which have been developed and/or implemented by Planned Parenthood affiliates. Programs are presented which attempt to provide information to adolescents or to the community; to change attitudes,…