School nurses are often sources of health-care support for teens with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. However, providing prevention (e.g., condoms) and teaching technical skills (e.g., condom use) needed to reduce high-risk sexual behavior may require a change in perceptions and policies. This study used a…

In states with universal mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect (CAN), it is essential that people who work with children and youth in a community be appropriately trained to recognize and report CAN. The primary goal of CAN training is early detection and intervention with a secondary purpose of impacting rates of violence, disease, drug…

School absenteeism and poor compliance with prenatal appointments are concerns for pregnant teens. The Prenatal Care at School (PAS) program is a new model of prenatal care involving local health care providers and school personnel to reduce the need for students to leave school for prenatal care. The program combines prenatal care and education…

The United States has one of the highest unintended pregnancy rates of all industrialized nations in the world, with 13% of those occurring among the adolescent population. In 2005, the adolescent birthrate in the United States was 40.5 per 1,000 women and increased 3% in 2006 (Martin et al., 2009). Unintended pregnancy and motherhood can have a…

Teenage pregnancy outcomes have become an increasing concern in the United States. Education and support of pregnant teens are critical factors that may determine good or poor pregnancy outcomes. Poor outcomes may include low birth weight, developmental delays, and poor academic performance. Although the number of teenagers experiencing pregnancy…

This article describes some of the special health and safety concerns that many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth face in schools. Among these problems are increased drug and alcohol use, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy risks, depression and suicidality, and increased likelihood of being a victim of harassment or assault.…