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| Teen Perspective |
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| A study was conducted by Corcoran, Franklin and Bell (1997) to identify contributing factors identified by a group of 115 adolescents participating in primary and secondary school-based pregnancy prevention programs. The study used a focus group format. The main contributing factors identified by teenagers were insufficient knowledge about contraceptives and accessibility, as well as unmet emotional needs.
Some of the suggestions raised by the study group to reduce unwanted pregnancies, included improving access to contraceptives which included addressing their concerns about parental consent and side effects of oral contraceptives. Another study found that programs that provided more comprehensive knowledge about contraceptives and their distribution were more effective than abstinence-based programs which had little effect on sexual behaviour (Franklin, Grant, Corcoran and O'Dell, 1997, cited in Corcoran et al, 1997).
Lack of emotional support from family, was also identified as a contributing factor by the teenagers. Unmet emotional needs according to the interviewees increased the vulnerability of females for attracting male attention. They were also more likely to have a baby to fill an emotional void in their lives (Corcoran, 1997).
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