The total number of waoen in the reproductive age group (15-49) was 497,000 in 1980 and grew to 605,000<sup>in 1985. Projections estimate the</sup> numbers will swell to between 800<sup>to 900 thousand by the year 2000 (World</sup> Bank, 1987). In Jamaica, the<sup>problem of teenpregnancy</sup> is dramatic; not only because fertility peaks at age<sup>20-24 in Jamaica (compared</sup> to a peak between 25 and 29 in industrialized countries), and 40% of Jamaican wamen<sup>15-19 have</sup> one to two children before they turn 20 (Jamaica-NFPB, 1984), but also because a large proportion of the population is young- 51% was under 20 years old in 1980 (Segree, 1985). These factors combine to create both high fertility and high adolescent fertility, the latter being a risk factor for maternal and infant health. The Contraceptive Prevalence Study in 1983 showed that teens 15-19 accounted for over 28% of births and 44% of abortions (Jamaica-NFPB, 1984). The Perinatal Study also found that over one-quarter of deliveries were to teenagers (Jamaica-MDH, 1989). Moreover, these teens, 15-19, are increasingly younger at first birth. The mean age at first live birth from current union was 19 in 1977 and dropped to 16.4 vears in 1983 (World Bank, 1987). Many young wcmen believe they must have children to make the transition from being a daughter to being a wcman (Brody, 1981). Very few wac-n in Brody's study had used contraception before giving birth to their first cbild. The girls claimed the contraceptives are dangerous or indicated that they didn't care enough to try avoid the first pregnancy (Brody, 1981). More than 70% of births in Jamaica were to unmarried woeen; when the single parent is a teen the social impact is greater and more likely to have lasting negative effects. Ccmmonly the teen pregnancy results in the early termination of education, restricted labor opportunities and higher unenployment, social dislocation, a restricted future, ei the beginning of an unsatisfactory "reproductive career" (Brody, 1981). . ?risingly, the mnrtality experience of the teens fram maternal causes Is not high. This is probably due in part to the selection of all teens and primiparous women for delivery in hospitals (Jamaica-MOH, 1989). An earlier study had found similar indications of over-all good obstetric performance by adolescents in Jamaican hospitals and attributed their good results to prenatal care participation (Hay & Boyd, 1973). The earlier study did find a slightly higher incidence of hypertension, stillbirth, postpartum hemorrhage, and premature deliveries among the younger mothers. Several programe designed for pregnant and parenting teens have been implemented in Jamaica. Some, like the Duhaney Park Project, focus on prevention of pregnancy and the develapment of self-esteem and selfsufficiency (Vadies & Clark, 1988). Teens were initially drawn into the Duhaney program for family planning and sexually-transmitted disease services. Other programs have focused on meeting the unique needs of pregnant teens and teen parents. The first teen parent project was sponsored in 1978 by the Jamaican Women's Bureau in response to the high pregnancy and school drop-out rates among teens. There had been an implicit policy that girls who became pregnant were unwelccme in schools. The Women's Centre provided classroom instruction for pregnant women ages 12 to 16 and worked with them to prepare them to return to school. The center also offered, with more limited success, skills training and job placenent assistance to unmarried, unemployed mthers 18 to 24 (Mc Neil et al., 1983). The drop-out rate among girls who becae pregnant remains high; in the Young Adult Reproductive Survey (Jamaica-NFPB, 1987) one-third of the females were still 5