Although the problem of teenage pregnancy and motherhood is cross-national, very few comparative and cross-national analyses exist. This paper uses data collected from personal interviews and focus group discussions in Ghana to evaluate major explanatory factors cited in the teenage pregnancy literature in the United States. Implications for preventing teenage pregnancy are discussed. Although the findings should be considered tentative and preliminary, several patterns do emerge. As in the United States, teen pregnancies in Ghana reflected early initiation into sexual activity and little effort on the part of teens to prevent pregnancy, despite knowledge about birth control. Another pattern similar to the United States was the relationship between poverty and teenage pregnancy and the role of adult males as fathers in teenage pregnancies. However, contrary to findings in the United States, peer pressure did not emerge as a major factor in teenage pregnancies in Ghana.
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