PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - H Irvine
AU  - T Bradley
AU  - M Cupples
AU  - M Boohan
TI  - The implications of teenage pregnancy and motherhood for primary health care: unresolved issues.
DP  - 1997 May 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 323--326
VI  - 47
IP  - 418
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/47/418/323.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/47/418/323.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract1997 May 01; 47
AB  - Teenage pregnancy and motherhood have implications for several different aspects of primary health care. First, the provision of health education and contraceptive services is obviously relevant to the prevention of unplanned teenage pregnancy. Secondly, appropriate obstetric care should be provided for teenagers, who are at high risk of developing complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Thirdly, and perhaps even more significantly, there is the implication of care required to deal with longer-term adverse health consequences associated with teenage pregnancy. In each of these areas, certain issues remain unresolved. This paper identifies key questions that remain unanswered, including the possibility of long-term adverse physical and psychological health consequences for teenage mothers and their children. The conclusion is that further research addressing these unresolved issues is necessary in order to inform health professionals and allow the implications for primary care to be assessed.