Unplanned Teenage Pregnancy and the Support Needs of Young Mothers, Part B, Review of Literature

The literature review was conducted to identify risk factors associated with teenage pregnancy and parenthood, including patterns of teenage sexual behaviour, as well as current knowledge about effective strategies in teenage pregnancy prevention. The impact of teenage parenthood on parents and children and ways of supporting pregnant and parenting young women was also explored.

The review relied predominantly on Australian literature in order to reflect local issues and perspectives. However, the need to consider more recent or extensive research in some areas required the use of overseas literature, mainly from the US and the UK. The main themes that emerged from the review included adolescent sexuality and behaviour, teenage pregnancy and parenthood.