Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and African-American Girls

Background: Teen Pregnancy Rates and Risk Factors

Compared to only a few decades ago, American society has become more open and accepting of teenage pregnancy. Pregnant teens are no longer hidden away with relatives. More importantly, many school and community groups have adopted honest and aggressive strategies to address the growing incidence of teenage pregnancy.

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of four different types of programs in preventing pregnancy in teenage girls. These programs include sex education in schools, one-on-one conversations between patient and health care worker in a clinical setting, service learning programs, and youth development programs. Particular emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of these programs in preventing pregnancy among African-American teenage girls.

The first part of this paper provides an overview of teen pregnancy statistics, both throughout the United States and among African-American teenagers in particular. The next part identifies the factors behind rising pregnancy rates among Black teenagers. In the third and main part, the paper examines the diverse programs and policies being implemented to help stop teenage pregnancy, then evaluates whether these programs address the unique factors that contribute to teen pregnancy in African-American teens. The conclusion argues that pregnancy rates among Black teens continue to rise because these programs do not adequately address the special factors behind pregnancies in this group, and that more policies must be enacted to address factors like poverty and school dropout rates.

Overall, teenage pregnancies in the United States have declined since 1991. However, studies such as Singh and Darroch (2000) have shown that a full 40% of all young women become pregnant before they turn 20 years old. Furthermore, 25% of sexually active teenagers contract a sexually transmitted disease every year. Despite the steady decrease, the United States still has the highest pregnancy and birth rate among industrialized nations.

Numerous studies have examined the causes of teenage pregnancy in the United States. In a longitudinal study, Harding (2003) found a strong link between neighborhood poverty and a teen's tendency to drop out of high school, engage in risky sexual behavior, and experience teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancies were much more common in high-poverty neighborhoods than in more affluent ones. Harding (2003) found that this causal link remained strong even when different family backgrounds were taken into account.

Other studies, however, suggest that family relations play a stronger role than neighborhood poverty. Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) found that African-American adolescents in poor neighborhoods have a greater probability of engaging in early sexual activity compared to their peers in more affluent households. However, the study also identified factors that create differences in sexual activity within disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) found, for example, that African-American teenagers who enjoy strong bonds with their parents were more likely to abstain from early sexual behavior. This was particularly true for teenage females who had close relationships with their mothers.

Furthermore, Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) found that Black teenage girls who experienced pregnancy were "significantly less likely" to be living in intact families. Rather, they often lived in single-parent households. Girls who did engage in risky sexual activity and experienced pregnancy also reported more "alienating mother-daughter relationships." Their mothers were often less communicative, and as a result, the daughters felt more distant from them.

Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) also found that girls who lived with cohabiting adults were four times more likely to engage in early sexual behavior. However, this trend was countered among girls who reported close relationships with their mothers.

The Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) findings contrast with the conclusions of the Harding (2003) study. Harding concluded that the poverty in a young teenage girl's environment was the strongest predictor of early sexual activity and eventual pregnancy. For Harding, these correlations held true even when familial ties were taken into consideration. Since Harding conducted a longitudinal study comparing two sample groups, his findings are supported by solid research methodology.

However, the conclusions of Harding's study are challenged when researchers focus on race. Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) found that within poor African-American communities, there were still significant differences in rates of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy. In these cases, the greatest predictor of pregnancy was the teenage girl's relationship with her mother. Those who enjoyed close relationships with their mothers were far less likely to become pregnant, even when other factors were taken into consideration.

Thus, for disadvantaged young Black women, the quality of the family unit assumes greater importance, especially when the teen lives in an impoverished neighborhood. Strong, close-knit families serve as a buffer, protecting many teens from negative neighborhood influences. These close relationships also come into play even for teens who are already sexually active. Moore and Chase-Lansdale (2001) additionally found that teenage girls who have close relationships with their mothers are more likely to practice safe sex by using contraception and having fewer sexual partners.

To be effective for all teens, pregnancy prevention programs need to address the special factors that give rise to pregnancy among African-American teenage girls. The following sections discuss the main types of pregnancy and safe-sex programs currently being implemented and evaluate how these programs respond to the unique needs of the African-American community.

Works Cited

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Harding, David. 2003. "Counterfactual Models of Neighborhood Effects: The Effect of Neighborhood Poverty on Dropping Out and Teenage Pregnancy." American Journal of Sociology. November.

Moore, Mignon R., and Lindsay P. Chase-Lansdale. 2001. "Sexual Intercourse and Pregnancy Among African-American Girls in High-Poverty Neighborhoods: The Role of Family and Perceived Community Environment." Journal of Marriage & the Family. November.

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