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Social Influence Processes and Prevention pp 71–101Cite as

Understanding and Preventing Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease/AIDS

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Part of the book series: Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues ((SPAS,volume 1))

Abstract

Most American teenagers have sexual intercourse, but most do not reliably use contraception or exercise precautions against sexually transmitted disease (STD). The predictable result of this pattern of behavior is a very high level of teenage pregnancy and infection with STD, accompanied by equally predictable sequelae, such as abortion, teenage parenthood, and welfare dependence (in the case of adolescent pregnancy), and sterility, lifelong infectiousness, and even death (in the case of adolescent STD infection). This chapter describes the problems of teenage pregnancy and STD, presents a model for understanding why teenagers expose themselves to these risks, and closes with discussion of a theory-based intervention to reduce adolescent pregnancy and STD infection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada

    William A. Fisher

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  1. William A. Fisher
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60626, USA

    John Edwards , R. Scott Tindale , Linda Heath  & Emil J. Posavac , ,  & 

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Fisher, W.A. (1990). Understanding and Preventing Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease/AIDS. In: Edwards, J., Tindale, R.S., Heath, L., Posavac, E.J. (eds) Social Influence Processes and Prevention. Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2094-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2094-2_4

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