ADULT LIAISON IN THE EPIDEMIC OF TEENAGE BIRTH, PREGNANCY, AND VENEREAL-DISEASE

The "epidemics" of "teenage" pregnancy and venereal disease, in professional literature and popular media, are typically ascribed to irresponsible behavior on the part of American teenagers. Yet, analysis of births, pregnancies, and STD cases among teenage girls by age of male partner indicates that 70% of the male partners are over the age of 20, and 15% are over age 25. Further, the pattern of teenage childbearing remains a constant factor of adult childbearing within each social subgroup over the past 40 years. Failure to recognize both direct adult liaison and modeled adult sexual behavior as the determining influences in teenage behavior underlies the failure to reduce "teen" pregnancy and STD.