Effectiveness of prevention programs for adolescent pregnancy: A meta-analysis

Using meta-analysis, we analyzed 32 outcome studies on the primary prevention of adolescent pregnancy and examined several moderator variables in relationship to the findings. Three outcome variables-sexual activity, contraceptive use, and pregnancy rates or childbirths-were analyzed as three separate and independent meta-analyses. Results indicate that the pregnancy prevention programs that we examined have no effect on the sexual activity of adolescents. We found sufficient evidence to support the efficacy of pregnancy prevention programs for increasing use of contraceptives. A smaller but significant amount of evidence supports program effectiveness in reducing pregnancy rates.