THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY PHYSICIAN IN PREVENTING TEENAGE PREGNANCY

An estimated 1 million teenage pregnancies occur each year in the United States, with more than 30,000 girls under the age of 15 years becoming pregnant. Family physicians can help reverse this trend through patient education and identification of teenagers at high risk for early sexual activity. Contraceptive counseling for teenagers who are already sexually active is essential and should emphasize proper contraceptive use.