Teenage pregnancy and motherhood: A review of the literature.

Abstract

Medical and nonmedical studies of teenage pregnancy and its outcomes are reviewed, and the state of our current knowledge is assessed. It is suggested that, while the typical teenage girl is biologically ready for motherhood, a complex set of social and psychological variables leads those least well-suited for the role into becoming teenage parents. The effectiveness of special programs for pregnant adolescents and their offspring is examined, and implications for policy and prevention are offered.