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This study confronts a gender bias in research on adolescent pregnancy by exploring adolescent men's decisions relating to a hypothetical unplanned pregnancy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with adolescent men (N = 360) aged between 14 and 18 years attending schools in the Republic of Ireland. The study, the first of its kind in Europe, extends the small body of evidence on adolescent men and pregnancy decision-making by developing and examining reactions to an interactive video drama used in a comparable study in Australia. In addition, we tested a more comprehensive range of sociological and psychological determinants of adolescent men's decisions regarding an unplanned pregnancy. Results showed that adolescent men were more likely to choose to keep the baby in preference to abortion or adoption. Adolescent men's choice to continue the pregnancy (keep or adopt) in preference to abortion was significantly associated with anticipated feelings of regret in relation to abortion, perceived positive attitudes of own mother to keeping the baby and a feeling that a part of them might want a baby. Religiosity was also shown to underlie adolescent men's views on the perceived consequences of an abortion in their lives.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.02.044

Type

Journal article

Journal

Soc Sci Med

Publication Date

05/2011

Volume

72

Pages

1507 - 1514

Keywords

Adolescent, Attitude, Decision Making, Drama, Female, Humans, Ireland, Logistic Models, Male, Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Unplanned, Surveys and Questionnaires