Publications on Family Planning

[First Tuesdays Transcript] Family structure changed rapidly in the second half of the 20th century. Two-parent families increasingly replaced by other family forms, divorce became common, births out of wedlock increased, and cohabiting couples became widespread. Marriage declined most in poor communities. Under the 1996 welfare legislation, states were urged to promote marriage, reduce out-of-wedlock childbearing, and support two-parent families. Panelists at this forum explored how states and communities might implement these programs in various settings, how service systems for low-income families can also promote marriage and relationships, and what challenges in responding to the circumstances of low-income people to expect.

A 50-state survey of state policies and programs to discourage teen and nonmarital childbearing conducted by Child Trends in 2001 analyzes changes since the 1999 and 1997 surveys. State efforts to prevent teen pregnancy and early childbearing changed little between 1999 and 2001 with one exception. More states reported school-based abstinence education in 2001 than in 1999. Although states focused less effort on nonmarital pregnancy prevention than on teen pregnancy prevention, states are emphasizing welfare caps, improved access to contraceptive service, programs encouraging unmarried pregnant couples to marry, and youth development or young adult education programs. The online version of the brief includes tables that identify the teen and nonmarital childbearing programs in place in each state.

This report, commissioned by the Office of Population Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reviews research conducted about family planning services between 1985 and 2003. Over 240 reports and articles were identified and examined. With input from 30 expert technical advisors, the authors organize the review around the key issues facing the family planning field today: reaching high-priority populations, strengthening family planning practices and improving the organization and administration of services. The report identifies priority directions for future family planning research and suggestions for enhancing the impact of research investments made by the Office of Family Planning.

Objectives. This study assessed factors related to chlamydial infection among young men in the United States. Methods. Data were from interviews of nationally representative samples of 470 men aged 18 to 19 years (teenagers) and 995 men aged 22 to 26 years (young adults) and from urine specimens tested by means of polymerase chain reaction. Results. Although a majority of the men reported occasional unprotected intercourse, only a minority perceived themselves to be at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Chlamydial infection was detected in 3.1% of the teenagers and 4.5% of the young adults. A minority of those infected had symptoms or had been tested for STDs; very few had been diagnosed with STDs. Conclusions. Chlamydial infection is common but usually asymptomatic and undiagnosed. Primary and secondary prevention efforts should be increased, particularly among young adult men. (Am J Public Health. 2002;92:1140–1143)

What type of prevention and intervention programs are most effective at promoting responsible teen behavior? Our October First Tuesday forum explored this question in light of results from a new study of programs to prevent teen risk-taking conducted by Urban Institute researchers Marvin Eisen, Cristina Pallitto, Carolyn Bradner, and Natalya Bolshun. Freya Sonenstein, director of the Populations Studies Center at the Urban Institute, moderated discussion of these issues. Panelists included David Landry, senior research associate at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, Urban Institute researcher Marvin Eisen, and Cory Richards, vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute.