NATIONAL—The latest research published in the current edition of the Journal of Sex Research has revealed promising but unexpected findings.
“When looking at a representative sample of teen girls, one would normally expect to see a gradual increase in probability that they might become pregnant,” Dr. Bartholomew Chen explained, “and this was true in our study… to a point.”
Dr. Chen shared a chart that illustrated virtually no instances of teen pregnancy in girls aged 10-12. Very low rates were observed for girls aged 13, with an increasing probability of conception that peaked at age 15. A slight decline was observed for 16 year olds and the trend continued gradually downward for girls aged 17 to 19. Then, at age 20 and older, the number plunged to negligible levels, virtually identical to numbers observed for the 10-12 group.
“We’re still analyzing the results,” Dr. Chen added. “A follow-up study is likely, if only to see if these results can be replicated.”
Perhaps less unexpectedly, the study found that rates of pregnancy for teenage males remained steady at zero percent.