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Pregnancy, Marriage, and Fatherhood in Adolescents: A Critical Review of the Literature

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International Handbook of Adolescent Pregnancy

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Abstract

Adolescent fatherhood is an issue that is poorly understood and insufficiently covered in the professional literature. Even more problematic, there are few intervention programs in the field of sexual and reproductive health to address their needs and concerns. Starting in the 1980s, however, there has been a growing interest in adolescent fathers by researchers, specialists, activists, government workers in the area of reproductive and human rights (especially those of children and adolescents), and international bodies such as the World Health Organization. This is important because the proportion of young people (aged between 10 and 19 years) in relation to the overall world population stood at 21 % in 1980, 19 % in 1995, and 17 % in 2010. In this chapter, the authors will provide an overview of adolescent demographics in both developed and developing countries regarding pregnancy, marriage, and the role of adolescent fathers; this is a demographic group that is often overlooked in the literature as most research targets the plight of pregnant adolescent girls. Finally, a major aspect of existing gender inequity is the great disparity between fathers and mothers regarding roles and responsibilities related to childrearing. Data suggest that, worldwide, fathers contribute far less time to the direct care of children than do mothers, although there is tremendous variation across countries and among men. Studies from diverse settings find that fathers contribute about one-third to one-fourth of the time that mothers do to direct childcare. However, even if they are not as involved in caring for children, fathers make decisions about the use of household income for children’s well-being, education, and health care, in addition to contributing income. Engaging fathers—and young men who will likely be fathers in the future—has the potential to set the stage for greater gender equality over the life course.

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  1. Rua Mardonio de Albuquerque Nascimento, 129 Várzea, Recife, Pernambuco, 50741-380, Brazil

    Jorge Lyra & Benedito Medrado

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  1. Jorge Lyra
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  1. University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

    Andrew L. Cherry

  2. University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA

    Mary E. Dillon

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Lyra, J., Medrado, B. (2014). Pregnancy, Marriage, and Fatherhood in Adolescents: A Critical Review of the Literature. In: Cherry, A., Dillon, M. (eds) International Handbook of Adolescent Pregnancy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8026-7_5

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