Context: With over one-third of detained girls experiencing teenage pregnancy, it is critical that the juvenile justice system better addresses the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of youth. Although pregnancy attitudes and intentions (PAI) are associated with pregnancy outcomes among the general adolescent population, this relationship has not been examined among justice-involved youth.
Methods: Participants were drawn from a longitudinal study characterizing trajectories of behavioral and reproductive health and recidivism among newly justice-involved youth in a Northeast family court. Baseline and four-month follow-up data from 288 justice-involved youth (JIY) were analyzed to characterize PAI; examine associations between pregnancy intentions and unprotected sexual activity (i.e., no hormonal, intrauterine, or barrier protection against pregnancy); and explore the relationship between pregnancy intentions and psychiatric symptoms.
Results: At baseline, 39% of JIY youth were sexually active, 44% of these youth reported inconsistent condom use and 14% had not used birth control at last sexual intercourse. Nearly half of sexually active youth reported some intent around pregnancy and those with any pregnancy intentions were more likely to report depression, low self-esteem, substance use, and trauma history. Pregnancy intentions at baseline predicted higher rates of unprotected sexual activity at four months (OR: 16.9, CI = 2.48-115.7).
Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of developing and implementing more comprehensive SRH assessments and brief interventions for youth entering the justice system.
Keywords: Adolescent sexual health; Justice-involved youth; Mental health; Pregnancy intentions; Teen pregnancy.