Questionnaires were administered to a random sample of 1,627 college students to assess their sexual experiences and behavior. Due to the "sexual revolution," a higher number of students are having premarital coitus; however, many students were found to be sexually inactive and unreliable in their use of contraceptives. (Authors/JN)

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)

The option of the child-free life should be offered to every young person contemplating marriage or approaching childbearing age. (Authors)

A survey of 530 South Carolina college and university students' sexual behavior patterns and contraceptive use indicates the need for comprehensive family planning programs focusing on preventing conception rather than preventing intercourse. (JMF)

Explored prevalence and ability of selected factors to explain sexual activity and use of contraceptives among a cohort of children entering out-of-home care. Found that children as young as 8 reported sexual activity and more than one-third between ages 8 and 18 are sexually active. Identified five important variables in sexual activity and two…

The relationship between contraceptive education and teenage male contraceptive behavior was investigated. Findings indicated that brief or moderately in-depth contraceptive education had little effect on contraceptive behavior. The teenage pregnancy and other sex-related problems may make parents and schools more amenable to comprehensive…

Examined male adolescent behavior, attitudes, and knowledge concerning condom use. Findings from 241 sexually active black adolescent males revealed that factors associated with condom use included higher grade level, having 2 or more sexual partners in past 6 months, communication about contraception with sexual partner, desire for sexually…

Summarizes research from the 1980s on topics of adolescent sexual activity, contraception, abortion, marriage, adoption, and childrearing. Emphasizes research about antecedents of adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior because they are key risk factors in adolescent pregnancy. Notes advances in data and methods and highlights research gaps.…

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…

Developed a multi-item scale for measuring attitudes associated with purchasing nonprescription contraceptives using construct specification and item generation and confirmatory factor analysis. Demonstrated a high degree of invariance across samples of 81 female and 115 male adult consumers. (SLD)

Discusses a computer-based contraceptive decision aid used with adolescent female family planning clinic patients (N=949). Results show improved short-term knowledge of and confidence in oral contraceptive (OC) efficacy. Higher OC knowledge after one year and fewer pregnancies were seen in one group. Findings suggest the usefulness of informatics…

Examines the sexual practices of 235 females aged 15 to 19 years and their readiness to use specific contraceptive methods. Results indicate that, despite the availability of newer contraceptive methods, most sexually active adolescents were least resistant to using condoms, perceiving the male condom as an acceptable preventative both for…

Examines sociodemographic, family, and health factors associated with repeat pregnancy in a clinical sample of urban, first-time mothers. Results indicate that postpartum contraceptive method was associated with repeat pregnancy at year one; contraceptive use, maternal age, history of miscarriages, and postpartum contraceptive method were…

There exists a "contraceptive gap" among young people. That is, while a large majority of young males and females become sexually active, there is a time lapse between the onset of sexual activity and the use of contraceptives. As a result of this lack of sexual responsibility, there are over 1,000,000 teenage pregnancies each year in the American…

Background: Although quantitative assessment of male condom use errors and problems has received increased research attention, few studies have qualitatively examined this sexual health behavior. Purpose: This study examined problems of male condom use as experienced by college men and women at a large, public Midwestern university. Methods:…