Adolescent pregnancy. Involvement of the male partner.
The role played by the male partner in an adolescent pregnancy was investigated. Questionnaires were completed by the male partners of 41 adolescent females who continued their pregnancy to term and attended an optional education program. Most fathers (81%) maintained an ongoing relationship with the mother and informed their own family about the pregnancy. Only 48% helped with the decision regarding the outcome of the pregnancy. Only 19% saw a health care professional to discuss the pregnancy and only 9% received contraceptive information. Our data suggest that a significant number of these males suffered negative psychosocial consequences such as depression and increased social isolation. We believe that more effort should be made to identify those males interested in participating in their partner's pregnancy, encourage them to play a role in the decision-making process regarding the outcome of the pregnancy, and provide them with contraceptive counseling and psychologic support.
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007086:Illegitimacy; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology