Discusses current information on the health consequences of smoking and two types of risks: those associated with all smokers and the higher risks associated with other characteristics, such as to pregnant women, teenagers, heavy smokers, those with cardiovascular disease, users of alcohol, and smokers in certain occupations. (SK)

Factors influencing birth defects include maternal age (teenagers and women over 32 are at risk), genetics, drug use, diet habits, and environmental hazards. The physical, social, and economic costs of birth defects are extreme. Prevention must involve efforts to change some of these factors. (Author/CS)

Points out that children of teenage parents are at a greater risk physically and are subject to unstable living arrangements and a poorer quality of life. Indicates that society has a responsibility to help prevent pregnancies and mitigate the consequences when preventative measures fail. (JOW)

This paper assesses the influence of welfare payments and other socioeconomic factors on age-specific white and nonwhite illegitimate birth rates. For nonwhite younger women, the regression results suggest that larger welfare payments are associated with higher illegitimate rates. (Author)

From the analytic grief framework one can formulate a philosophy related to counseling the rape victim or the woman facing unwanted pregnancy. This article describes such a philosophical orientation and the counseling interventions which emerge from it. (Author)

This Research Brief draws on recently released nationally representative data to provide information on teenage sexual activity. In this brief, the authors provide trends through 2002 on multiple indicators of sexual experience and activity for males and females, members of racial and ethnic groups, and for younger and older teenagers. These new…

This paper examines the nonmarital teenage childbearing behavior of two cohorts of women from the National Longitudinal Surveys (born between 1957-1964, making them teenagers during the 1970s-80s, and between 1980-94, making them teenagers during the late 1990s-early 2000s). The two cohorts faced substantially different social and economic…

This report offers findings and recommendations by the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Nearly one million teens become pregnant annually. The teen birth rate increased 24 percent between 1986-91 and has fallen 20 percent since then. Overall, too many parents and adult leaders do not take a strong stand against teen pregnancy. Strident…

The author relates the experience of a high school with a pregnancy testing program. The most positive aspects of the program accrue from the fact that it permits followup by the nurse and school personnel of those girls continuing their pregnancies, and the reassurance that all possible alternatives to pregnancy and motherhood were explored…

This study of pregnant students was intended to improve services to the students, and to develop a more effective program for preventing unwanted pregnancies and the residual problems that accompany a lack of contraceptive awareness. (Author/RK)

Author describes approach taken by the Children's Aid Society of Vancouver in sponsoring a demonstration project aimed at illegitimacy prevention through hospital observation and family life dialogue with highschoolers. (Author/MB)

The author discusses the problem faced by school age pregnant girls and briefly describes the growing movement to coordinate community services into a comprehensive program for these girls. (BY)

Social workers, Cooperating with doctors, nurses, hospital social workers and educators in other helping systems, conducted a demonstration project described here, aimed at preventing illegitimate teenage pregnancy. (Author)

Reports on a group program in which a public health nurse and two social workers have been working together to help unmarried mothers prepare for delivery and plan for the care of their babies. (Author/AJ)