Coital and contraceptive behavior of female adolescents.

Structural interviews conducted with 532 female clients of a teen contraceptive clinic revealed a moderate level of coital activity i(in terms of both frequency of intercourse and number of partners) which typically began at age 15. Prior use of contraception was sporadic and almost exclusively confined to nonprescription methods. Primary reasons for nonuse of birth control included fear of lessening the pleasure of intercourse and lack of access to contraception. The data indicate that a combination of comprehensive sex education and ready access to birth control is necessary to prevent unintended adolescent pregnancy.