information for practice

The United States has made extraordinary progress in reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates. More teens are delaying sex and those that are sexually active are using contraception more consistently and carefully. Both of these developments have made important contributions to the impressive decline in teen pregnancy and childbearing. Recent years have also brought good news on the research front. As Doug Kirby so carefully points out in Emerging Answers 2007, the quality and quantity of evaluation research in this field has improved dramatically and there is now more persuasive evidence than ever before that a limited number of programs can delay sexual activity, improve contraceptive use among sexually active teens, and/or prevent teen pregnancy. Of course, this is a very welcome development for all of us who care about the well-being of young people and the next generation of children who deserve to be raised by adult parents.