In Their Own Words: Pregnancy Prevention Needs of Latino Teen Mothers
Author: Driscoll, Anne K.; Brockman, Michael S.; Gregory, Peggy; Alvarado, Denise; Bersamin, Melina M.
Date Published: 2003
This study explored parenting Latina teens’ perspectives of the relevance of these strategies for pregnancy prevention programs in order to enhance our understanding of how to help Latino teen mothers delay a second birth, and to best provide programs and services that would enable them to improve life conditions for themselves and their children. Participants included 27 Latina teen mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 with one child. Teens from urban and non-urban settings and immigrant and U.S.-born teens were interviewed to allow for comparisons between these groups. The teens’ responses were roughly consistent with the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) recommendations. Few differences were found between U.S.-born and immigrant teens and between those living in urban and non-urban communities.The high rate of teen births among Latino youth is a major topic of concern. While the national Latina teen birth rate is twice that of non-Latino whites, Latina adolescents in California are four times as likely to become parents as whites. Nonetheless, little research has focused on pregnancy prevention programs and effective evaluation of such efforts for Latina populations. In response to this absence of information, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) offered a series of Latino teen pregnancy prevention strategies (Pérez & Duany, 1992).
Date Published: 2003
This study explored parenting Latina teens’ perspectives of the relevance of these strategies for pregnancy prevention programs in order to enhance our understanding of how to help Latino teen mothers delay a second birth, and to best provide programs and services that would enable them to improve life conditions for themselves and their children. Participants included 27 Latina teen mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 with one child. Teens from urban and non-urban settings and immigrant and U.S.-born teens were interviewed to allow for comparisons between these groups. The teens’ responses were roughly consistent with the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) recommendations. Few differences were found between U.S.-born and immigrant teens and between those living in urban and non-urban communities.The high rate of teen births among Latino youth is a major topic of concern. While the national Latina teen birth rate is twice that of non-Latino whites, Latina adolescents in California are four times as likely to become parents as whites. Nonetheless, little research has focused on pregnancy prevention programs and effective evaluation of such efforts for Latina populations. In response to this absence of information, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) offered a series of Latino teen pregnancy prevention strategies (Pérez & Duany, 1992).
