The number of births out of wedlock in the USA and in western Europe increased, from 7.8% to 44.7% in Denmark and from 5.2% to 25.1% in the UK between 1960 and 1988. This, however, is interpreted differently in the light of family models. While in Scandinavian countries it should be seen as a result of cohabitation, in the USA and the UK it reflects rather teenage pregnancies, uncommon in Scandinavian countries.
Success in the struggle to reduce unwanted adolescent pregnancies and abortions worldwide requires a change in the attitudes of planners, providers and parents – and family planning associations are best placed to give the lead.