The chapters of this volume contain the background papers that informed the deliberations of the Panel on Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing and support many of its conclusions concerning the current state of knowledge. Chapters 1 through 4 present detailed reviews of the research on factors affecting adolescent sexual decision making, including the initiation of sexual activity, contraceptive use, and pregnancy resolution. Chapters 5 through 8 review the scientific evidence on the short-term and long-term social, economic, and health consequences of early sexual activity, pregnancy, childbearing, and parenting. Chapters 9 and 10 review evidence concerning the costs, effects, and effectiveness of alternative programs. The tables referred to in Chapters 1–10 are found in the statistical appendix.
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