A Program to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

To help boys and young men avoid causing teen pregnancies, one needs a sound understanding of the developmental stages and factors influencing male sexual behavior. Researchers at the roundtable meeting described how biology, psychology, relations with family and peers, the broader culture, and institutions  like schools and  the media all influence young men's sexual attitudes and actions. Cultural messages about sexuality, sexual behavior, and becoming parents as well as access to reproductive health services  also affect young men's sexual conduct. They mature at different rates than young women, and society has different expectations regarding their behavior. Pregnancy prevention initiatives must be tailored according to these differences.

Adolescence presents boys with a particular set of tasks and challenges. Throughout their teenage years, young men are developing a sense of their identity-in terms of  gender (what does it mean to be man?), vocation (what skills do I have? what work  can I do?), and relationships (whom will I love? who are my friends?) They strive for autonomy and independence, yet need also to stay connected with their families. They learn more abstract modes of thinking and reasoning and gradually develop the ability to weigh present gains against future costs.

Young men who impregnate teen girls come in a variety of forms, according to sociologists. In panelist William Marsiglio's terminology, a few "native procreators" may be unaware of the consequences of having sex, but, more often, teen males are "careless procreators," more interested in "scoring" than worried about the consequences, Some young men are "deliberate procreators" because they see paternity as a source of prestige and as a way of affirming their manhood.