The most devastating effects of teenage pregnancy are felt among African Americans because of the disproportionate number of adolescent unmarried females in this community who get pregnant and give birth each year. Aspects of this problem are discussed as they relate to the African-American community. Historical antecedents of the problem are traced, including the trend towards reduced services for teen parents. Studies have suggested that parental involvement in the lives of their teenagers is the most critical factor in the prevention of teen pregnancy. Little attention was originally given to the behavior of young males, but a growing body of literature shows that most men who father the children of adolescent mothers are not themselves teenagers. In addition, fathering without marriage is not associated with socially deviant behavior among African-American males, which suggests that fathering without marriage may become a normative behavior. African-American attitudes toward family planning are also a factor in teenage pregnancy. In the 1960s, black activists were openly hostile to family planning and argued that the use of birth control was genocidal. Although this attitude did not represent black views generally, its resonance is still heard when discussing the use of birth control, particularly by unmarried adolescents. Recommendations are made for addressing the teen-pregnancy problem. Footnotes contain 10 references. (SLD)