It is primarily age that makes the adolescent transition to sexual activity and conception a problem. Childbearing and the desire to experience sexual contact are biologically normal once physical maturation has occurred (Dean 34). For this reason, premature sexual activity is unlike the socially unacceptable behaviors from which it is grouped. Illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, and delinquency are damaging at whatever age they occur an

Although adolescence is seen as a healthy time of life, young adolescents are in a transitional and demanding stage of growth and thus at risk of deficits in nutrition and health. The stress of pregnancy puts additional demands on the bodies of very young women that they may not be able to optimally meet (Dean 125). Consequently, the growing fetus is more likely to be deprived, which can lead to a higher risk of intrauterine growth retardation and low birth rate. Infant size is related to prepregnancy weight of the mother, and many young mothers are small. They may be competing with the fetus for nutrients that are in short supply either because of their socioeconomic status or their eating habits. Even when they consume enough calories, they may be deficient in certain vitamins, iron and calcium (127). The fact that they are biologically mature enough to carry does not imply that they have reached full growth; it may be that small size rather than their need for continued growth puts their infants at risk.

Dean, Anne L., Teenage Pregnancy: The Interaction of Psyche and Culture, The

Zabin, L. S., & Streett, R., (1991). Reasons for delay in contraceptive clinic

Functional barriers to clinic access certainly influence clinic utilization by teenagers. For young adolescents, the difficulty of negotiating the health care system is substantial. Practical processes such as scheduling an appointment, finding transportation, maintaining secrecy, undergoing examination and interview, getting and paying for contraception and then using them regularly and effectively are all beyond the capacity of many young teens (Eisen 268).

utilization, Journal of Adolescent Health Care, 12, 225-232.

While most agree that education can have a positive effect, especially among younger teens, the programs are so inconsistent across school systems that is it difficult to evaluate them. Teachers report a lack of training and materials to carry out their work, and education in this field is frequently superficial and often omits important areas of information that adolescents require (Kirby 260). Furthermore, youth who are the most at risk for pregnancy are often the most difficult to reach through these programs. For example, with the high dropout rates in many urban schools, services delivered through the schools will miss large proportions of those in need (262).

Adolescent women may not recognize or acknowledge pregnancy properly and thus limit their access to safe abortion or early prenatal care (Nathanson 116). Teenagers consistently have abortions later in pregnancy than older women do. Their tendency to deny, delay or have difficulty obtaining an abortion is associated with longer gestation (Ravoira 108). The younger the teenager, the more likely she is to have a later abortion. The tendency to delay has the largest single effect on teenagers' risks of complications during abortion (110).

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Planning Perspectives, Zellman McAlister, Forrest Singh, Leland Fetro, Howard McCabe, Mosher McNally, Zabin Streett, Bibliography Althaus, family planning, sexual activity, family planning perspectives, Family Planning, planning perspectives, sexual onset, sexual behavior, planning perspectives 23, physical emotional, perspectives 23, health care, life options, perspectives 22, planning perspectives 22, physical emotional cognitive, emotional cognitive social,
Approximate Word count = 2989
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)