| Abstract: | Contraceptive choices made by sexually active teenagers are considered in this study. The idea that teenagers are rational decision-makers who weigh the perceived costs and benefits of specific contraceptive methods along with the option to not contracept guides the analysis. A regression model is estimated using observations of teenage women from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth. Results generally support the rational decision-making hypothesis. Perceptions of pregnancy risks, resulting from knowledge of reproductive biology and contraceptive options or from a previous pregnancy, appear particularly important in determining contraceptive choices.James Reschovsky is Assistant Professor, Department of Consumer Economics and Housing, Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Apart from teenage contraceptive choices, his research interests include investigation of housing decisions by elderly households and implications for the delivery of long-term care.Jennifer Gerner is Associate Professor, Department of Consumer Economics and Housing, Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Her research interests include family and household economics and household organization. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.The authors thank Soog Hong Gong, Catherine Montalto, and Sarah Stone for their research assistance. We also thank Carol Kramer for her contributions during the early phases of this study and Linda Jacobsen, W. Keith Bryant, and Robert Avery for their comments on an earlier draft. |
