The effect of a peer’s teen pregnancy on sexual behavior

Abstract

We examine whether a friend or older sibling’s teen pregnancy impacts one’s own sexual behavior. Employing an event study design and rich retrospective data on sexual activity, we find that those who observe a peer’s teen pregnancy change sexual behavior after the pregnancy ends to put themselves at lower risk of their own teen pregnancy; specifically, they are less likely to have unprotected sex and have fewer sexual partners in the year following the end of the teen pregnancy. We find that females are more likely to change their sexual behavior compared to males, and the effects are primarily driven by peer live births, as opposed to other pregnancies. Ultimately, we find a slight decline in the likelihood of one’s own teen pregnancy, though estimates are noisy. Our work suggests that education campaigns that provide a realistic portrayal of teen parenthood may be an effective tool for impacting teen behavior.