Koutelekos John
An unintended and in most cases unwanted pregnancy brings teenagers before a crisis. Teenage birth rate has declined from 9% in 1985 to 5,2% in 2002, but it still remains a serious medical and social problem. The high rate of teenage childbearing among minority and disadvantaged groups, documented in the United States and the United Kingdom, is consistent with the hypothesis that lack of opportunity and socioeconomic disadvantage contribute to teenage childbearing. There is also evidence from studies in the United States that better communication between parents and their adolescent children is associated with later sexual initiation and lower teenage childbearing. Strategies have been developed by most governments in order to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and counter the epidemic of HIV and AIDS. Formal sex education programs may increase knowledge about reproductive health and improve the use of methods to protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
