Male Adolescent Sexual Behavior, The Forgotten Partner: A Review

It is encouraging that after years of focusing attention on the female's ability and responsibility to manage her reproductive behavior, the male is finally beginning to receive notice and attention. Ironically, before the widespread use of the Pill and the IUD, men and male birth control methods played an important role in family planning. Even today, reliance on vasectomies, the condom and withdrawal account for 25% of the contraceptive use among couples and trend statistics point to an increased interest among selected populations in the use of barrier methods that require partner cooperation for effective use. Yet, most small scale and nationwide knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) studies focus on the female, particularly the teen-age female. With the exception of fragmentary survey data, pertinent information about male adolescent sexual activity is virtually nonexistent. The growing consensus among researchers and planners is that it is now crucial to research the forgotten partner--the adolescent male.