Developmental tasks: a key to reducing teenage pregnancy

The developmental tasks of adolescence are discussed as a factor in some adolescents' risky sexual activity, which may lead to pregnancy. This theory is presented in the context of a case study. Nursing diagnoses, possible interventions, and nursing implications are examined in relation to assisting at-risk teens to meet their developmental needs. It is hoped that this article will stimulate further dialogue in the literature of developmental causes of teenage pregnancy, identification of those at risk, and appropriate nursing responses.