Existing research on the risks of having sex at a young age with an older partner has focused on poorer reproductive health outcomes in the adolescent years, but scant attention has been paid to the longer-term implications of these relationships. Using survey data from high school students, this "Fact Sheet" presents findings from recent Child…

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…

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors examine the association between contraceptive use patterns in teens' first sexual relationships and their knowledge of, perceptions of, and motivations for contraception and pregnancy prevention. Results from logistic regression analyses show that knowledge,…

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, 9-month resident father surveys (N= 6,816), this paper examines the association between male pregnancy intentions, prenatal behaviors, and postbirth father involvement. Findings indicate that prenatal behaviors are associated with five domains of father involvement. Men who did…

Since decisions about sexual behavior are made by couples, communication between sexual partners is essential for preventing risky sexual behavior. In particular, teens who discuss contraception and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with their partners before they engage in sex are more likely to use contraception when they do have sex, which…

This report provides a critical review of the current research literature on the consequences of unintended childbearing for families and children. The review addresses the following potential consequences: prenatal and perinatal risks (e.g., inadequate or delayed initiation of prenatal care, smoking/drinking/substance use during pregnancy,…

This research brief focuses on the birth, pregnancy, contraceptive, and relationship behaviors of Hispanic teens because they represent an important risk group. Teen pregnancy and birth rates for U.S. teens have declined dramatically in recent years. Yet for Hispanic teens, reductions in teen pregnancy and childbearing have lagged behind that of…