Predictors of Conceiving a Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Study of Young Black Males.

Background: To identify predictors of conceiving a pregnancy, over a 6-month observation period, among young black males attending clinics that diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections). Methods: A convenience sample was recruited from clinics in three U.S. cities. Young black males aged 15-23 years (n = 286) who reported recent (past 2 months) penetrative sex and had not conceived a pregnancy at enrollment were eligible. At baseline and 6-month follow-up, participants completed self-interview surveys and provided a urine sample for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing. Associations of conceiving a pregnancy with demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial predictors were assessed using bivariate and adjusted logistic regression models. Results: At the 6-month follow-up 11.5% conceived a pregnancy during the observation period. Bivariate analysis indicated testing positive for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea at study enrollment significantly increased odds of conceiving a pregnancy ( p = 0.01). Enrollment in school was a protective factor ( p < 0.04). Adjusted logistic regression modeling demonstrated that males with a history of arrest were three times more likely to conceive a pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.71-7.77; p = 0.001). For every added unit of agreement that ''somebody wants to be pregnant with your child,'' odds of conceiving during the observation period increased by 37% (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.19-1.98; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Findings suggest incident conceptions among a clinic-based sample of young black males occurred at a high rate, regardless of age. The clinic setting provides a unique opportunity to intervene with this population of would-be fathers, potentially making a valuable contribution to overall efforts to remedy racial disparities in adolescent/young adult pregnancy rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]