Teenage Girls Who Date Gang Members More likely to Become Pregnant

Newswise — Teenage girls whose boyfriends are gang members are nearly twice as likely to become pregnant as those not dating boys involved with gangs, according a recent study by researchers at RTI International, the University of California San Francisco and the University of North Carolina.

The study, published in the May edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology, looked at 237 sexually active females 14 to 19 years of age from predominately Latino neighborhoods in San Francisco and examined the relationship between gang exposure and pregnancy for a two-year period between 2001 and 2004.

"The significant role of partner's gang membership in increasing pregnancy risk highlights the importance of addressing the reproductive health needs of gang-involved youth," said Alexandra Minnis, Ph.D. epidemiologist at RTI. She was an assistant professor at UCSF when the study was conducted. "Our findings suggest that focusing on pregnancy intentions, including those of male partners, remains an important area for intervention."

The researchers found that girls' gang membership did not affect her pregnancy risk, but girls with gang-affiliated boyfriends were twice as likely to become pregnant as their peers. Girls whose boyfriends spent time in jail were also more likely to become pregnant.

During the study, more than one-fourth (27.4 percent) of the participants became pregnant. The results found that pregnancy intentions, particularly those of male partners, played a significant role in the incidence of pregnancies.

The researchers suggest there may be increased perceived social pressures for gang involved youth to have a baby, and the belief that pregnancy strengthens the commitment between couples or influences the status of females within a relationship are strong with gang-involved couples.

The authors also suggest that women with gang-involved partners may feel less power to negotiate condom use.

"The elevated risk for pregnancy in this population of sexually active females also points to the accompanying risks for sexually transmitted infections," Minnis said. "Integrated reproductive health prevention, therefore, is critical."