Peer counseling in a culturally specific adolescent pregnancy prevention program.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of peer counseling in a culturally specific adolescent pregnancy prevention program for African American females. A random pretest and multiple posttest experimental and comparison group design was used to obtain data on a sample of 63 female African American adolescents, ages 12 to 16, who lived in four public housing developments. Descriptive data and tests of significance revealed that none of the participants who received peer counseling became pregnant within three months of the intervention. Findings revealed a statistically significant increase in reproductive and other self-related knowledge topics among the experimental group when comparing pretest and eight-week posttest scores. Most participants had not had sexual intercourse; the average age of sexual onset was 12 years in the experimental group and 11 years in the controls. Designing and implementing culturally specific adolescent pregnancy prevention programs for adolescents younger than age 11 and/or before sexually active seems appropriate.