High rates of pregnancy among vocational school students: results of audio computer-assisted self-interview survey in Chiang Rai, Thailand

Unplanned pregnancy among young people can lead to adverse social, psychological, and health outcomes, particularly when it results in abortion. In 1999, we examined the prevalence of and factors associated with pregnancy and abortion among 1725 consenting vocational school students in northern Thailand. Results from an audio computer-assisted self-interview showed that 48% of the male and 43% of the female students reported ever having had sexual intercourse. Among those who had had intercourse, 27% of the women and 17% of the men said they or their partner had ever been pregnant. Among the last reported pregnancies that resulted in delivery or abortion, 95% were aborted. Age, current contraceptive use, early initiation of sexual intercourse (⩽16 years), alcohol and drug use, and sexual coercion were associated with self or partner pregnancy. The high rates of pregnancy and abortion in this population indicate the need for better sexual health education and access to effective contraceptive methods.