Teen Pregnancy

In fall 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a systematic review of the research literature on programs to prevent teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and associated sexual risk behaviors. Findings have been used in part to identify programs with evidence of effectiveness in reducing these outcomes.

This paper presents findings from an ongoing systematic review of research on teen pregnancy and STI prevention programs to help support evidence-based approaches to teen pregnancy prevention. A total of 88 studies met the review criteria for study quality and were included in the data extraction and analysis.

In fall 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a systematic review of the research literature on programs to prevent teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and associated sexual risk behaviors. Findings have been used to inform two new federal policy initiatives aimed at supporting evidence-based approaches to teen pregnancy prevention.

The goal of this review is to develop a working knowledge base about the use of new media and its potential impact on sexual activity and decision making.

The report presents a detailed breakdown comparing Departmental funding for abstinence education, adhering to the A-H definition, with other Departmental funding used to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. [19 PDF pages]

Contents  

By: Melissa Clark, Christopher Trenholm, Barbara Devaney, Justin Wheeler, and Lisa Quay Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Project Director: Christopher Trenholm Contract No.: HHS 100-98-0010 MPR Reference No.: 8549-110

Contents Focal Programs for This Report Evaluation Design Impacts on Behavior Impacts on Knowledge of Risks Associated with Teen Sex Impacts on Perceptions of Pregnancy and STD Prevention S