Pregnancy--Psychological aspects

One out of every ten women aged 15-19 in the United States becomes pregnant each year, yet few studies have been conducted to determine what is important to the teenage mother. The purpose of this study is to develop a structural description of the lived experience of being a teenage mother. Six teenage mothers who attended a teen parent program in a local high school were interviewed. Using Giorgi's method of interpretation for phenomenological studies, a general description of the lived experience of being a teenage mother was developed. Actual quotations from the interviews are utilized to illustrate the themes which emerged and possible resolutions and implications for further nursing research discussed.