Wanted and Unwanted Pregnancy in Early Adolescence: Evidence from a Clinic Population

Abstract

Data presented here from a university clinic for unwed pregnant early adolescents suggest two paths to pregnancy: (a) some females, though unmarried, apparently want to become pregnant and have a child; (b) others, who do not want a child, nonetheless become pregnant due to unforeseen circumstances. We report some critical differences in reproductive behavior between those who wanted to get pregnant and those who did not. Implications are developed for theorizing about early adolescent pregnancy and for delivering pregnancy related services for teenagers.