This paper draws on findings from an analysis of interviews with young people aged 14-18 years, to explore the peer influences in young people's informal social networks which can affect their access to sexual health services. The research focuses on the social meanings of a C-Card condom distribution scheme in North East England. Such schemes are…

If factual information is given, if the method is easily accessible and acceptable, and if they have come to terms with their own sexuality, most young women will accept the responsibility of preventing an unwanted pregancy. (JD)

Analysis indicates qualities of the interpersonal relationship of the adolescent dyad are consistently associated with exposure to pregnancy risk. Certain qualities have a counterbalancing influence on pregnancy risk in that they are positively related to the frequency of sexual intercourse while being positively related to regularity of effective…

This paper is a progress report on a large-scale five-year longitudinal predictive study of contraceptive success and failure, begun in November, 1973. Subjects were a randomly selected goup of 646 patients at a Planned Parenthood Clinic. An interview and several brief questionnaires were administered to each subject. A sub-group was selected…

One explanation for the lack of contraception use among adolescents is that young women may feel embarrassment or rejection by their partners if they initiate the use of contraception. To explore young adults' reactions to contraceptive use, 160 college students evaluated a description of an unmarried young couple which varied the length of time…

It is popularly held that the low rate of birth control use among sexually-active American teenagers is primarily due to their immaturity. Many teenagers are commencing their sexual careers prior to acquisition of the social and cognitive abilities demanded by responsible contraceptive use. A general decision-making framework can be used to create…

Interpersonal and intrapersonal risk for substance use were investigated for 1,170 Caucasian and Hispanic American sixth and seventh graders, equally divided by gender. Mean use levels did not differ for ethnic groups. Across both gender and ethnicity, susceptibility to peer pressure and peer alcohol use were the best predictors of substance use.…

The book was designed to be a reference material as part of a comprehensive sex education program or as a family resource book. The language and syntax of the book as well as the line drawing illustrations are geared specifically for hearing impaired young people and others whose need for information on human sexuality may be more advanced than…