Health behavior and related factors in adolescents with a history of abortion and never-pregnant adolescents.

Although prevention of unintended births among adolescents is health promoting, abortion, as one of those methods, has not been examined from a health promotion perspective. The authors describe and compare health behaviors, problem-solving appraisal, self-image, age, and use of contraceptives at first and most recent coitus in adolescents with a history of abortion and never-pregnant adolescents. A cross-sectional design with 26 pairs of adolescents matched on age, race, grade level, and Medicaid status was used. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups. The matched pairs' health behaviors and problem-solving scores were less favorable than those reported in the literature for nonmetropolitan women. Although the 2 groups of adolescents had similar self-image scores, they were significantly below those of the norm reference group. The matched pairs initiated coitus at an earlier age, and a smaller proportion used contraceptives at first and last coitus than national norms. These findings support the need for early intervention to enhance self-image, problem-solving confidence, and coitus delay. The findings point to the importance of aggressive family planning interventions and maintenance of access to abortion services.