The sentiments of love and aspirations for marriage and their association with teenage sexual activity and pregnancy.
This study questions the findings of most research claiming that teenage pregnancies are generally unwanted, unplanned and unintended. It starts with the question of why most sexually active teenagers put themselves at risk of becoming pregnant if they do not desire it. The hypothesis is that sentiments of "love" and "aspirations for marriage" are related to starting sexual activity and subsequent pregnancy. The sample is 123 school-age mothers. It was found that sentiments of "love" were associated with becoming pregnant more than with starting sexual activity. Most of the respondents who were "in love" at the onset of pregnancy were hoping to marry their sex partners and, in fact, many thought that marriage would occur in the very near future following the outcome of pregnancy. These findings suggest that more research needs to be directed at the development of affective bonds with and the aspirations for marriage to the sex partners. Such research may explain why these teenagers put themselves at risk.
D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D011247:Pregnancy; D012725:Sexual Behavior