Sex pregnancy and contraception: a report of focus group discussions with adolescents.

Abstract

This report summarizes focus group discussions conducted with adolescents exploring adolescents views about sex pregnancy and contraception. A total of 106 African-American European-American and Mexican-American adolescents from Maryland and Texas were recruited for the study. Overall findings indicate several common themes regarding teen sexuality and childbearing norms strategies for increasing the likelihood of pregnancy prevention and delaying first sex and the potential impact of social policies. Several important differences by race/ethnicity and gender also emerged from the discussions. These findings have important implications for future research and pregnancy prevention programs. The findings also emphasized the need for prevention efforts to expand their focus on parents and adults to develop strategies that support families and strengthen positive adult-teen relationships.