Teenagers Talk About Sex, Pregnancy and Contraception

To investigate the reasons behind the high levels of nonuse or inconsistent use of contraceptives among sexually active adolescents in the US the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) undertook a 1983 study using 10 focus group discussions with teenagers from 5 US cities. Focus groups are small groups of 6 to 12 participants and 1 trained moderator; the informal setting is believed to encourage more detailed behavioral responses and provides a qualitative understanding of the topics addressed. The groups were segregated according to sex and age with the ages from 16 to 17 and 18 to 19. The groups were composed of single sexually active teenagers overwhelmingly from middle or lower middle class white families. After taping and analyzing the sessions the researchers found some common reasons given for nonuse. Included were the belief they were not at risk at the time of their intercourse lack of preparation for a sexual encounter partners objections lack of information about birth control methods or where to access them and the belief that contraceptives were complicated or unpleasant to use. The authors suggest that conflicting societal messages may be in part responsible. For example 1st sexual encounters are often unprepared for and may signify the bad label offered by society for sex at a young age or before marriage. Yet this is coupled with advertisements promoting the excitement of sexual adventure. Embarrassment and confusion result from such ambivalence creating a need for contraceptive service providers to recognize and become sensitive to the needs of these young consumers. The authors offer several suggestions to help diminish this ambivalence: elevating the content and quality of sex education in secondary schools; informing young men of their legal responsibilities to the mothers of their offspring; selecting and training groups of students to serve as peer sources of family planning information; and instituting programs that encourage parent and child communication on sexual matters. Their hope is to reduce the negative feelings and to incease effective contraceptive practice among adolescents.