Engaging young men in teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) can help prevent premature fatherhood, which can have serious consequences for the young men, their partners, and their children.
The 2004-2008 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that approximately 25% of female adolescents (15-19 years old) reported the reason for NOT using contraception as “their partner did not want to use contraception.” This is the second most-frequently cited reason for contraceptive nonuse. Young men are also more likely to exhibit pregnancy ambivalence which is associated with a lowered likelihood of using contraceptives.
Engaging young men in sexual and reproductive health education and health care services are critical to preventing premature fatherhood. Approximately 25% of male adolescents report receiving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services compared to approximately 50% among females. However, both male and female adolescents report an interest in receiving sexual health information from health care providers. The challenge, however, has been translating this objective and research into a pragmatic application of increased gender equality in the field. JSI, 2019.
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