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Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
Knowledge Path

Introduction

This knowledge path directs readers to a selection of current, high-quality resources about adolescent pregnancy prevention that measure, document, and monitor the problem; identify risk and protective factors; and report on promising intervention strategies. It can be used by health and social services professionals, policymakers, and researchers to learn more about the topic, for program development, and to locate training resources and information to answer specific questions. Separate briefs identify resources for families and schools. The path has been compiled by the MCH Library at Georgetown University and will be updated periodically.

Overview

The birth rate for U.S. adolescents ages 15–19 in 2008 was 41.5 per 1,000 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2010), the highest birth rate in the Western industrialized world (World Development Indicators, 2010). Adolescent pregnancy and childbirth have serious consequences for the adolescent mother, the child, and society in general. For example, adolescent mothers are more likely to live in poverty. Infants born to adolescent mothers are more likely to have lower birthweights. And adolescent pregnancy imposes large costs on U.S. taxpayers — billions of dollars annually — in terms of the services and support provided to families that began with a birth to an adolescent. See Why It Matters: Linking Teen Pregnancy Prevention to Other Critical Social Issues, rev. ed. (2010) by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The National Campaign also offers a set of fact sheets about the social issues impacted by adolescent pregnancy. Also see the strategies announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to reduce adolescent and unintended pregnancy.

Resources for Professionals

Websites

• Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Information about funds available to states and territories under the Affordable Care Act for comprehensive, evidence-based programs and strategies to prevent adolescent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections and for abstinence programs.
  
  
• Advocates for Youth. Data, reports, lesson plans, information about effective programs, and news and commentary about adolescent sexual and reproductive health for health professionals, educators, and advocates. Topics address abstinence, abortion, contraception, parent-child communication, sexuality education, and adolescent-pregnancy prevention. Also presents contact information for state organizations focused on adolescent pregnancy prevention. Advocates for Youth aims to help adolescents and young adults make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Publications include
  
  Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (2nd ed.). (2008).
  
  Also see the Parents Sex Ed Center, the Sex Education Resource Center, and the Future of Sex Education (FoSE).
  
  
• Campaign for Our Children (CFOC). Tools for public health professionals and local government officials for developing research-based messages and educational media campaigns about adolescent pregnancy prevention and other preventive health issues. Includes video and audio clips and fact sheets. CFOC was established in 1987 to address the high adolescent birth rate in Maryland. CFOC's materials are now used nationally and internationally.
  
  Also see CFOC's Teen Guide.
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  Division of Reproductive Health: Adolescent Reproductive Health. Information about funding programs, research, science-based approaches, and state and community success stories for preventing adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Recent publications include
  
  
  • Positive Youth Development Promoting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Review of Observational and Intervention Research. (2010). [Journal supplement in full-text].
    
    
  Guide to Community Preventive Services: Prevention of HIV/AIDS, other STIs and Pregnancy. Recommendations for population-based interventions that focus on abstinence education, comprehensive risk reduction, and adolescent behavior.
  
  Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR). Data based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. Recent reports include
  
  
  • Abortion Surveillance—United States, 2006. (2009).
    
    
  • QuickStats: Pregnancy, Birth, Abortion, and Fetal Loss Rates Per 1,000 Women Aged 15–19 Years, by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity—United States, 2005. (2010).
    
    
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10–24 Years—United States, 2002–2007. (2009).
    
    
  National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Briefs and reports with data about adolescent sexual activity, contraception, pregnancy, and birth rates. Recent materials include
  
  
  • Births: Preliminary Data for 2008. (2010).
    
    
  • Changing Patterns of Nonmarital Childbearing in the United States. (2010).
    
    
  • Estimated Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1990–2005: An Update. (2009).
    
    
  • NCHS Data on Teenage Pregnancy. (2009).
    
    
  • Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, National Survey of Family Growth 2006–2008. (2010).
    
    
  • Use of Contraception in the United States: 1982–2008. (2010).
    
    
  Parents Matter! Research-based information, resources, and tools for health and social service professionals about including parents in sexual risk prevention efforts targeting adolescents.
  
  Also see CDC's Healthy Youth! Sexual Risk Behaviors, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), and the Prevention Research Centers.
  
  
• Child Trends: Teen Sex and Pregnancy. Research briefs, fact sheets, and other publications about sexual activity, contraceptive use, and fertility to help program providers and policymakers develop strategies for preventing unintended pregnancies, nonmarital births, and STDs. Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization providing research and data to inform decision-making that affects families. Recent publications include
  
  Estimated Percentage of Females Who Will Become Teen Mothers: Differences Across States. (2009). [Research brief].
  
  Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions About Sex. (2009). [Research brief].
  
  Percentage of All Teen Births in Large Cities That Are Repeat Births, 2006. (2009). [Fact sheet].
  
  Telling It Like It Is: Teen Perspectives on Romantic Relationships. (2009). [Research brief].
  
  Ten Reasons to Still Keep the Focus on Teen Childbearing. (2009). [Research brief].
  
  Also see the Child Trends DataBank and the LINKS Database.
  
  
• Guttmacher Institute. Fact sheets, policy briefs, reports, articles, PowerPoint presentations, and news about adolescent sexuality, abortion, contraception, and pregnancy prevention. Some materials are available in Spanish and French. Also presents a state center for research and analysis about sexual and reproductive health laws and policy developments in the states. The Guttmacher Institute focuses on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis, and public education worldwide. Recent publications include
  
  Facts on American Teens’ Sexual and Reproductive Health. (2010).
  
  Key Questions for Consideration as a New Federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Is Implemented. (2010). [Article].
  
  U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. [2010]. [Report].
  
  Winning Campaign: California's Concerted Effort to Reduce Its Teen Pregnancy Rate. (2010). [Article].
  
  Also see the Guttmacher Institute Data Center.
  
  
• Healthy People 2020. Information about this national health-promotion and disease-prevention initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services. View the overview, objectives, and recommended interventions and resources for adolescent health, including adolescent pregnancy prevention.
  
  
• Healthy Teen Network (HTN). Reports, resource guides, fact sheets, webinars, and a conference calendar about adolescent pregnancy prevention, adolescent pregnancy, and adolescent parenting. HTN is a national member-based organization of adolescent reproductive health professionals. Recent resources include
  
  Evidence-Based Resource Center. Information and tools to help communities implement evidence-based or innovative approaches to reducing adolescent pregnancy.
  
  Helping Teens Stay Healthy and Safe: Health Care, Contraception, and Confidential Services. (2009). [Fact sheet].
  
  Integrating HIV, STI, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Education and Services. (2009). [Fact sheet].
  
  Also see HTN's brochure for parents.
  
  
• National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC). Fact sheets, policy briefs, reports, and other materials about adolescent health on topics that include positive adolescent development and reproductive health. NAHIC is based at the University of California, San Francisco. Recent resources include
  
  Trends in Adolescent and Young Adult Health in the United States. (2009). [Journal article].
  
  Also see NAHIC's Data Project to Improve Adolescent and Young Adult Health.
  
  
• National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health. Fact sheets, issue briefs, reports, and journal article citations about health care topics important to adolescents, such as health insurance and access to care; development of adolescent-friendly, interdisciplinary models of care; and assurance of confidential care. The alliance provides education, research, policy analysis, and technical assistance to support improvements in the way that adolescent health care is structured and financed. Recent resources include
  
  Significant Multiple Risk Behaviors Among U.S. High School Students. (2010). [Fact sheet].
  
  
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. An extensive set of resources about adolescent pregnancy prevention for health and education professionals, policymakers, faith communities, parents, adolescents, and the media. Resources include national and state data; information about effective programs; reports; fact sheets; PowerPoint presentations; Spanish-language materials; posters; audiovisuals; and news and commentary. Topics include contraception, foster care, male involvement, parental involvement, the influence of media on adolescent sexual health, health reform, racial and ethnic differences, and faith and values. The National Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative that aims to improve the well-being of children, adolescents, families, and the nation by preventing unplanned and adolescent pregnancy. A selection of important and recent publications and initiatives includes
  
  American Indian/Alaska Native Youth and Teen Pregnancy Prevention. (2009). [Research brief, PowerPoint presentation].
  
  Can You Hear Me Now? Evaluating Your Technical Assistance. (2009). [Guide].
  
  Careful, Current, and Consistent: Tips to Improve Contraceptive Use. (2010).
  
  Crucial Connection: Working Together to Address Teen Pregnancy Among Youth in Foster Care. (2010). [Video clip, Discussion guide].
  
  Effective and Promising Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs for Latino Youth. (2010). [Research brief].
  
  Effective Planning for Child Welfare Leaders to Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2010). [Guide].
  
  Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. (2007). [Report].
  
  Federal Funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs. Information about federal funding opportunities to support evidence-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs. Includes background data and facts for proposal writing.
  
  Link Between Reducing Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Poverty. (2010). [Policy brief].
  
  National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. A collection of resources for this annual event, which occurs on the first Wednesday in May.
  
  Nationwide Trends for Latina Teen Birth Rates. (2009). [Data brief].
  
  Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Through Pregnancy Planning and Prevention. (2009). [Policy brief].
  
  Putting What Works to Work (PWWTW). Reports, research briefs, case studies, and presentations about this project to translate research on adolescent pregnancy prevention practices into user-friendly materials for professionals, policymakers, and advocates to incorporate into their work.
  
  Rethinking Responsibility: Reflections on Sex and Accountability. (2009). [Collection of essays].
  
  Toward a Common Future: Latino Teens and Adults Speak Out About Teen Pregnancy. (2009). [Report].
  
  What Helps in Providing Contraceptive Services for Teens? (2009). [Research brief].
  
  What Works 2010: Curriculum-Based Programs That Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2010). [Research brief].
  
  
• Office of Adolescent Health (OAH): Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Information about a federal initiative to support evidence-based adolescent pregnancy prevention approaches. Includes grant announcements, application forms, and technical assistance information. Also includes information about the systematic review of the evidence base for programs to prevent adolescent pregnancy and information about interventions meeting the review's criteria for programs with evidence of effectiveness. OAH is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
  
  
• Office of Population Affairs (OPA). Information about family planning and adolescent family life grant programs. Includes program reports, data, evaluation instruments, lists of grantees, a reproductive health clinic directory, and a publications list. OPA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
  
  
• Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families, and Communities. Information about programs and practices that research indicates are effective in improving outcomes for children, adolescents, and families, including programs that increase the percentage of adolescents who abstain from sexual activity or do not engage in risky sexual behavior. Also contains resources for strengthening service delivery. PPN is operated by the RAND Corporation.
  
  
• Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (ReCAPP). Tools and information for teachers and health educators on reducing sexual risk-taking behaviors among adolescents. Includes information about programs that have shown evidence of changing sexual risk-taking behavior; strategies for educators and adolescents for effective prevention; learning activities that teachers and health educators can use with adolescents; rationales behind the development of adolescent pregnancy prevention strategies, activities, and programs; statistics; abstracts of current research; and access to ReCAPP's library. ReCAPP was created by ETR, a private, nonprofit health-education-promotion organization.
  
  
• RESOURCE Project. Education tools for faculty from a variety of disciplines to use in enhancing the adolescent-health training of public health students. Includes a 12-unit adolescent-health curriculum on topics such as adolescent development, sexuality, and adolescent pregnancy. The project is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Public Policy Analysis and Education Center for Middle Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Health.
  
  
• Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS). Resources about human sexuality and adolescent development that include program information; policy, advocacy, and research updates; and advocacy and education tools. SIECUS is a national, nonprofit organization that provides education and information about sexuality and sexual and reproductive health.
  
  Also see SIECUS' Talk About Sex, SexEdLibrary, and Future of Sex Education (FoSE).
  
  
• Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM). Position papers on topics that include abstinence-only education policies and programs, confidential health care for adolescents, emergency contraception, media and contraception, and reproductive health care for adolescents. Also offers an online directory of adolescent health professionals.
  
  
• Sociometrics Corporation. Adolescent-pregnancy data, information about effective prevention programs, and evaluation resources for program administrators from health clinics, schools, and community-based organizations. Resources include the Data Archive on Adolescent Pregnancy and Pregnancy Prevention (DAAPPP) and journal articles about its development and use. Also includes the Program Archive on Sexuality, Health, and Adolescence (PASHA), a collection of effective adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease (STD), and HIV/AIDS prevention programs selected for public dissemination by a national panel of experts. Replication kits for each of these programs are available. Publications and online professional training in program modeling and evaluation are also presented. Sociometrics is a research and development firm specializing in social science research applications.
  

Additional Electronic Resources

• Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC). 2009. BrdsNBz Text Message Warm Line. Durham, NC: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC). This information page describes a text message service for North Carolina adolescents to get answers to sexual health questions.
  
  
• Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). 2010. Adolescent Health and Teen Pregnancy. Washington, DC: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). This newsletter issue describes federal and state programs and resources that address positive youth development and healthy decision-making in all aspects of an adolescent’s life. Sexual health and pregnancy prevention are addressed.
  
  
• Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). 2010. Making the Case: A Comprehensive Systems Approach for Adolescent Health and Well-Being. Washington, DC: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). This white paper presents a framework and justification for a comprehensive systems approach to adolescent health and well-being to help adolescents and their families safely navigate the complex biological, behavioral, cognitive, and social factors that impact their lives.
  
  
• Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Center on Social Disparities in Health. 2008. A Question of Hope: Reducing Latina Teen Childbearing in California. Berkeley, California: Ideas in Motion. This video clip is for policymakers, health and social services professionals, and advocates concerned with helping Latina adolescents delay childbearing until adulthood. The video clip is also available in Spanish.
  
  
• Butler AS, Clayton EW, eds. 2009. A Review of the HHS Family Planning Program: Mission, Management, and Measurement of Results. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. This report describes a critical review of the Title X Family Planning Program, a federal program that provides family planning services to low-income individuals and adolescents. The report recommends several steps to improve the management and quality of the program and to demonstrate the program's impact on factors such as reducing rates of unintended pregnancy.
  
  
• Evans D. 2009. Recommended Adolescent Health Care Utilization: How Social Marketing Can Help. Washington, DC: National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation. This issue brief examines ways in which social marketing can help promote adolescents' use of recommended health care services. The brief includes examples of recent adolescent social marketing campaigns about sexuality that used social media.
  
  
• Family Violence Prevention Fund. 2010. Facts on Adolescent Pregnancy, Reproductive Risk and Exposure to Dating and Family Violence. San Francisco, CA: Family Violence Prevention Fund. This fact sheet provides information on pregnancy, reproductive risk, and exposure to dating and family violence among female adolescents and young adults ages 16–24. The fact sheet describes how violence affects reproductive health and how it impacts risky behaviors.
  
  
• Lawrence RS, Gootman JA, Sim LJ, eds. 2008. Adolescent Health Services: Missing Opportunities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. This report examines the health status of adolescents and adolescent health services in the United States, components of high-quality health care for adolescents, and strategies for improvement.
  
  
• Monasterio E, Combs N, Warner L, Larsen-Fleming M, St. Andrews A. 2010. Sexual Health: An Adolescent Provider Toolkit. San Francisco, CA: Adolescent Health Working Group, San Francisco. This toolkit provides evidence-based practice guidelines to enhance a health professional’s ability to meet adolescents’ sexual health needs.
  
  
• National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY). 2010. Bright Idea: Texting for Teen Health. Silver Spring, MD: National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY). This article describes lessons learned from a North Carolina adolescent pregnancy prevention campaign that invites adolescents to ask questions about sexual health via anonymous text messages.
  
  
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). 2009. Building on Success: Teen Pregnancy Prevention in California. Denver, CO: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). This collection of meeting materials and background information addresses options to reduce adolescent pregnancy in California.
  
  
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). 2009. Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Making a Difference for At-Risk Populations. Denver, CO: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). This issue brief describes disparities in adolescent pregnancy and birth rates and adolescent populations at high risk for pregnancy. The brief highlights prevention programs that target these populations.
  
  
• Schwarz SW. 2010. Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health: Facts for Policymakers. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). This fact sheet presents statistics and facts about adolescent pregnancy, sexual activity, relationships, and STDs. The fact sheet also outlines the system-level challenges to attaining adolescent sexual and reproductive health and recommendations for improvement.
  
  
• Trenholm C, Devaney B, Fortson K, Quay L, Wheeler J, Clark M. 2007. Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs: Final Report. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. This report presents final results from a congressionally mandated, multi-year, impact study of four abstinence education programs.
  
  
• U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 2009. Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. This report presents the testimonies of medical and scientific experts about the public health evidence of the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs and of more comprehensive programs.
  

Databases

The databases listed below are excellent tools for identifying data, additional literature and research, and programs about adolescent pregnancy prevention. Many of the entries below contain tips on how to use the databases efficiently. Please note that databases vary in how terms should be entered; for example, some require quotation marks and others don't. Enter search phrases as shown in bold below.

Data

• Child Trends DataBank. Over 100 key indicators of infant, child, and adolescent well-being, including adolescent pregnancy, sexual activity, and contraceptive use.
  
  
• Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI). County-specific data on health-status indicators obtained from a variety of federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Census Bureau, and the Department of Labor. Use the indicators to compare a county with counties similar in population composition and selected demographics and to characterize the overall health of a county and its citizens to support health planning. In the left sidebar, select a state and county and click on Display Data. Select Measures of Birth and Death and view Births to Women under 18. CHSI is a service of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
  
  
• County Health Rankings. Data profiles of the counties within each of the 50 states. Counties are ranked according to their health outcomes and the multiple health factors that determine a county’s health including the adolescent birth rate. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is collaborating with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute to develop these rankings.
  
  
• Data Archive on Adolescent Pregnancy and Pregnancy Prevention (DAAPPP). Collection of studies about adolescent sexual health issues, including adolescent pregnancy, family planning, and behavioral factors related to STDs. Data sets are available for download for a fee. DAAPPP is a product of Sociometrics Corporation.
  
  
• Guttmacher Institute Data Center. Data on a range of abortion-, pregnancy-, and family- planning–related issues. View national and state profiles or customize the data to create tables, graphs, and maps.
  
  
• Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP): HCUPnet. Health statistics and information on hospital inpatient and emergency department utilization at the national, regional, and state levels, including use of hospitals by children. To identify data about hospital use related to adolescent pregnancy, select National Statistics on Children. Select Researcher, medical professional. Under type of query, select Statistics on specific diagnoses or procedures. Select a year (e.g., 2006). Select Diagnoses grouped by Clinical Classifications Software (CCS). Select Principal diagnosis. Under the field, Browse all CCS categories, select 11 COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH, AND THE PUERPERIUM. Click on Next. Select the outcomes and measures of interest (e.g., Number of discharges) and click on Next. Select patient and hospital characteristics (e.g., All patients in all hospitals) and click on Next. View your results. HCUP is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
  
  
• KIDS COUNT Data Center. National and state data to track the status of infants, children, and adolescents in the United States. The adolescent birth rate is one of several adolescent health indicators tracked. KIDS COUNT is an Annie E. Casey Foundation project. Publications include
  
  KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief: Reducing the Teen Birth Rate. (2009).
  
  
• National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC): Data Project to Improve Adolescent and Young Adult Health. National and state-level profiles of key measures of adolescent and young adult health based on Healthy People 2010. Includes data about pregnancy and safe sex behavior.
  
  
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. National data about adolescent pregnancy, births, and sexual activity. State profiles on adolescent demographics, pregnancy, sexual activity, and the costs of adolescent childbearing.
  
  
• statehealthfacts.org. State-level data on women's health, including adolescent birth rates, abortion rates by age, and data about health insurance coverage for family planning services. Information is displayed as bar graphs, tables, or color-coded maps. View individual state profiles or compare data for all states by category. statehealthfacts.org is a project of the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
  
  
• Title V Information System (Title V IS). Data from annual Title V Block Grant applications and reports submitted by all 59 U.S. states and jurisdictions. To learn about states' efforts to address adolescent pregnancy prevention, conduct three searches. First, select Measurement and Indicator Data and go to the National Data section. Select National Performance Measures; select a report option; and choose Performance Measure #08: The rate of birth (per 1,000) for teenagers aged 15 through 17 years. Click on Start Search to get your results. Second, select Measurement and Indicator Data and go to the State Data section. Select State Priority Needs Keyword Search and choose Keyword: Reproductive Health and Population: Adolescents. Click on Start Search to get your results. For the third search, go back to Measurement and Indicator Data and the State Data section. This time, select State Performance Measures and click on Search by Keyword/Population. Select Keyword: Reproductive Health and Population: Adolescents. Click on Start Search to get your results. Title V IS is a service of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
  
  
• World Development Indicators (WDI). Over 300 indicators covering 209 countries from 1960 to 2008 translated into Spanish, French and Arabic. Indicators include adolescent fertility rates (i.e., births per 1,000 women ages 15-19). WDI is the primary World Bank database for development data from officially recognized international sources.
  
  
• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): Youth Online. Data about health-risk behaviors and the prevalence of obesity and asthma among adolescents and young adults. To identify data related to adolescent pregnancy prevention, select a location (i.e., United States, state/territory, local). Select the health topic, Sexual Behaviors. Select a subtopic (e.g., Ever had sexual intercourse), and select a year(s). Youth Online is a service of CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH).
  
  
• Also see the Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
  

Literature and Research Databases

• ClinicalTrials.gov. Information about clinical research studies for a wide range of diseases, conditions, and health behaviors. Included are a summary of the purpose of the study, information about recruiting status, criteria for patient participation, location of the trial, and contact information. To identify studies, click on Search for Clinical Trials; enter the search phrase pregnancy AND (youth OR teens OR adolescents); and click on Search to get your results. ClinicalTrials.gov is a service of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  
  
• Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE). Summaries of systematic reviews that have met strict quality criteria. Included reviews must be about the effects of interventions. Each summary also provides a critical commentary on the quality of the review. Type pregnancy AND (adolescents OR teens OR youth) in the search field and click on Search to identify abstracts. DARE is produced and maintained by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York.
  
  
• MCH Library at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH), Georgetown University. Databases to collect, manage, and disseminate knowledge about maternal and child health (MCH), with special emphasis on knowledge gained from initiatives and programs supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The library's bibliographic database is
  
  MCHLine®. An online catalog of materials in the MCH Library. See the bibliographies, Abstinence Education, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, and Sexuality Education.
  
  Also see the library's resource briefs, Sexuality Education and Adolescent Health, and the MCH Organizations Database.
  
  
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT): RePORTER. Information about reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH-supported research. To identify information on the topic, enter adolescent pregnancy prevention in the search field and click on Submit Query to get your results. Narrow your search by selecting a state or adding terms to other search fields.
  
  
• POPLINE® (POPulation information onLINE). More than 300,000 citations with abstracts to scientific articles, reports, books, and unpublished reports about reproductive health. Conduct an instant search of the database by clicking on Adolescent Pregnancy from the list of instant search topics on the right side of the screen. POPLINE is maintained by the K4Health Project at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs.
  
  
• PubMed. Over 20 million citations for biomedical articles from MEDLINE and life science journals. Citations may include links to full-text articles from PubMed Central or publisher websites. To identify articles on the topic, enter the term pregnancy in adolescence/prevention and control. Then, click on Limits and make the following selections on the page: select a date (e.g. Published in the last 2 years); click on Languages: English; and select Search Field Tags: MeSH Major Topic. Click on Search to get your results. For additional searches, use the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database to identify terms (e.g., sexual abstinence, sex education, condoms). PubMed is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
  
  
• Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (ReCAPP) Library. Information about booklets, articles, teaching guides, videotapes, websites, and other resources about adolescent pregnancy prevention. Select teen pregnancy prevention from the category field. Other categories include contraception, effective prevention programs, male involvement, and Spanish-language materials.
  

Programs Databases

• Child Trends: LINKS (Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully) Database. Summaries of evaluations of out-of-school-time programs that work (or not) to enhance children's development. To identify those that address adolescent pregnancy prevention, select Age Group: Adolescents and Reproductive Health: Teen Pregnancy and Sexual Activity (select both). Click on Submit Keywords to get your results.
  
  
• Community Pediatrics Grants Database. Archive of community pediatrics grant projects. Identify projects by selecting Developmental Stage/Age: Adolescents and Topic: Sex education and Teen Pregnancy & Parenting. Hold down the control key (ctrl) or Apple command key and click your mouse to make multiple selections. Click on Advanced Submit to get your results. The database is a service of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
  
  
• Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS). Information for more than 900 grants issued by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). To identify grants, select Abstracts. Type teen pregnancy prevention in the search field, and click on All the words. Click on Search to get your results. To find products and publications produced by MCHB training grantees, select Program Data; select Training; and select Search Products and Publications. Type teen pregnancy prevention in the search field, and click on All the words. Click on Search to get your results.
  
  
• FindYouthInfo.gov: Program Directory. Information about evidence-based, federally funded adolescent programs. Search by risk factor (e.g., early sexual involvement) or protective factor (e.g., clear social norms). Click on Search to get your results.
  
  
• Health Services Research Projects in Progress (HSRProj). Information about ongoing health services research and public health projects. To identify projects on the topic, enter the search phrase (adolescent OR teen) AND pregnancy. Click on Search to get your results. HSRProj is funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
  
  
• MCH Organizations Database. Over 2,000 government, professional, and voluntary organizations involved in MCH activities, primarily at a national level. Several national organizations offer information about adolescent pregnancy prevention, and these appear in a list produced from the database. The database is presented by the MCH Library.
  
  
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy: Interventions with Evidence of Success. Information about interventions that have some evidence of success in changing behavior related to adolescent pregnancy (i.e., delay the initiation of sex, improve contraceptive use, decrease teen pregnancy, or decrease a second pregnancy). Click on elements in the Category Search box to define your search.
  
  
• Prevention Research Centers (PRC): Research Projects. Information about research projects conducted by CDC-funded Prevention Research Centers, which work as an interdependent network of community, academic, and public health partners to conduct prevention research and promote the wide use of practices proven to promote good health. To identify adolescent pregnancy prevention projects, click on Find research project descriptions that meet specified criteria. Select Health Topics: Sexual health, and select Age Group: Adolescents. Click on Search to get your results.
  
  
• Also see Advocates for Youth and Sociometrics Corporation.
  

News and Commentary

• Advocates for Youth. Several blogs about adolescent reproductive and sexual health policy, culture, current events and research, and parent-child communication. Also offers Daily News, a list of headlines with links to articles about adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
  
  
• Guttmacher Institute E-mail Updates. Three electronic newsletters about sexual and reproductive health news and analysis: (1) Guttmacher Update, (2) State News Quarterly, and (3) News Providers Can Use from the Guttmacher Institute.
  
  
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): Adolescent Health Update. An electronic newsletter about adolescent health resources, conferences, funding opportunities, and news for professionals working in local health departments. Topics include adolescent pregnancy prevention.
  
  
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The blog, Pregnant Pause, about adolescent and unplanned pregnancy and Notification Network, an e-mail news service that covers adolescent pregnancy prevention facts, data, research, publications, program information, and media messages.
  

Resources for Families

• See the MCH Library family resource brief Teen Pregnancy Prevention.
  

Resources for Schools

• See the MCH Library school resource brief Sexuality Education.
  

Related MCH Library Resources

• Community Services Locator: An Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families knowledge path
• Health Insurance and Access to Care for Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief
• School-Based and School-Linked Health Care school resource brief
• Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
  

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention: Knowledge Path, 6th ed. (September 2010). (Updated: September 2011).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library.
Reviewers: Olivia K. Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., MCH Library; Katherine Suellentrop, M.P.H., The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.