Abstract

PIP: About 100 single adolescent girls of 18 and under and 100 who were between 18 and 20 were personally interviewed between August 1970 and May 1971 once before and once after they had undergone abortion. The purpose was both to counsel them and to get data to aid in the formulation of policies of prevention and effective aftercare. With the addition of some other groups the total sample consisted of 411 subjects who were 1) adolescents who had had an elective abortion, 2) those who were abortion repeaters, and 3) four groups of adolescents pregnant for the first time. The results showed that 1) in most cases, the pregnancy was an unanticipated consequence of their sexual sexual activity, 2) widespread promiscuity was rare, 3) 73% tried to avoid pregnancy while 27% wanted to get pregnant. 17% of the girls in the former group made an effort to get a contraceptive, and 10% actually and unsuccessfully used a method.