This study examined whether knowing that a victim of a sexual assault was carrying a condom influenced perceptions of her sexual intention and subsequent judgments of the sexual assault. Participants (N = 165) read a vignette describing a date that culminated in an alleged sexual assault. Condom possession (carrying a condom, not carrying a…

Using the 1995 new cohort of the National Survey of Adolescent Males, this paper examines the association between perceptions of child support and adolescent males' sexual activity. The results indicate that adolescent males who expect the chance of being required to pay child support is high if one becomes a non-resident father or who has a…

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,…

In this article, the author examines the controversial issue whether to teach sex education or sexual abstinence. Sex education has always been fraught with controversy. The discord in Westbrook, Maine, school district is noteworthy because of the vocal support for an abstinence-only curriculum approach to sex education that has reshaped the…

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…

Twenty-five HIV-negative late adolescents (13 women and 12 men) who had lost a parent to AIDS generated vignettes in which the characters were deciding whether to use a condom (condom scripts). Two clinically trained judges rated the interpersonal tone of the condom scripts on 17 semantic differential scales. Three other clinically trained raters…

As a Family and Consumer Science educator at Union City High School in Union City, Pennsylvania, I have heard and seen a great deal. I have been teaching for 24 years at this rural Pennsylvania Middle/High School where teen pregnancy has always been a problem. Teaching students abstinence as the only method of birth control has been a major…

The threat of HIV/AIDS to African American's health has become the focus of much concern. This study investigated the potential differences between African Americans' and white college students' current and future sexual behaviors and safer sex behaviors with HIV/AIDS awareness, condom use self-efficacy, and safer sex attitudes. A convenience…

Every year one million teenage girls become pregnant. Eight out of 10 are unintended pregnancies. Primarily targeting pregnant teenagers, this book address many of the different issues and decisions that a pregnant teenager must face. Letters supplement text to highlight feelings of pregnant teens and provide advice from friends, counselors, and…

This annotated listing of books is intended as a reference for anyone seeking an authoritative introduction to population and family planning information, as a world, family, or individual concern. For each entry, the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is provided if available. The number preceding each reference represents the…

Involuntary parenthood contributes to population problems and may have deleterious consequences for the mental health of both parent and child. Some suggestions are outlined for counteracting pronatalist policies with alternative strategies for manipulating fertility decision making. (Author)

This book examines in detail the complex, controversial problem of teenage pregnancy in the United States. Compiled by a panel of distinguished experts, it is a comprehensive review of data on such issues as sex education in the schools, contraception, abortion, adoption, prenatal and pediatric care, child support enforcement, and Aid to Families…

This issue of Emphasis addresses the educator's role in confronting adolescent pregnancy by presenting articles on educational programs for adolescents which have been developed and/or implemented by Planned Parenthood affiliates. Programs are presented which attempt to provide information to adolescents or to the community; to change attitudes,…

Adolescents currently account for less than 1 percent of reported AIDS cases. Yet, because of their experimentation with both sex and drugs, teens face an increasingly high risk of contracting and transmitting the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). A total of 35 innercity black adolescents, ages 14 through 17, were…

Pregnancies, abortions, and births to unmarried women occur frequently in the United States; these are of particular concern when they occur to teenagers. This study examined the effects of age on the decision to have an abortion for teenagers (N=256) at a clinic serving a predominantly white clientele from several mid-size cities and the…