Gender stereotypes and adolescent unplanned pregnancy risk

Abstract

This study focuses on the relationship between gender and sexuality. The psychological aspects of femininity and masculinity have been studied and related to various styles of personality when evaluating situations and decision making. In previous studies positive aspects of masculinity and femininity relate to high scores in self-esteem and achievement perception. In this study I relate gender stereotypes and pregnancy risk in adolescent population. Pregnancy risk is the set of beliefs, attitudes and intentions that increase pregnancy in adolescent females and increase the possibility of producing pregnancy in the case of adolescent males. The sample consisted of 300 adolescents, males and females, ages 15–20, from CCH Sur, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Results show that positive feminine characteristics both in males and females correlate to higher unplanned pregnancy risk and positive masculine characteristics in males and females, to protection against unplanned pregnancy. Key words: stereotypes gender adolescence unplanned pregnancy