Informing the Evidence Base on Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections: Important Lessons (Journal Article)

Readers of this supplemental issue of AJPH will naturally wonder what to make of these studies in the context of the broader research literature on adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which has grown dramatically in the past 25 years. Since 2009, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sponsored the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Evidence Review—an ongoing systematic review of the research literature on programs to prevent adolescent pregnancy, STIs, and associated sexual risk behaviors. For this review, my colleagues and I have identified and assessed more than 250 impact studies of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs. These studies were released over a 26-year period from 1989 through 2015 and share similar designs, measures, and research questions as the studies featured in this supplemental issue of AJPH. We have documented our review findings on a public website and through a series of technical and substantive research briefs and articles. From our experience conducting the review, we have learned several lessons that may be useful for interpreting this supplemental issue of AJPH in the context of the broader research literature.