A New Strategy for Preventing Unintended Teenage Childbearing

desired, availability of abortion services. If these conditions are fulfilled, then most teenagers will have the resources to be able to delay childbearing until they are ready to assume the responsibilities of parenthood. But capacity is not the only prerequisite; without the desire to avoid early motherhood, a young woman will not effectively acquire the knowledge she needs or use the appropriate preventive services. The motivation to avoid motherhood stems from the adolescent's knowledge and understanding of the consequences of early childbearing, and her recognition of the relevance of these consequences to her own life. Unless a young woman believes that childbearing during adolescence will limit her opportunities in