No Rush to Motherhood: The Lived Experience of African American Never Pregnant Sexually Active Female Teens.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of underserved minority sexually active teenaged girls' successful avoidance of unwanted pregnancy.

Design And Method: Merleau-Ponty's methodology and van Manen's method of doing phenomenological research guided and facilitated the process of the study. 7 participants were eligible and all of them were interviewed for this study.

Results: Six main themes were identified: sense of emotional safety; sense of being free from a potential pregnancy; feeling supported by family and friends; connections built on trust and communication; regard for self through self-esteem and self-confidence; and sense of having life goals.

Conclusion: The interpretive statement of 'these teen-agers experienced a sense of emotional safety, support by family and friends, trust and connection with family, friends and healthcare providers, and self-confidence resulting in the opportunity to develop life goals and feel strongly motivated to be free from pregnancy' was developed after further reflection upon the study themes.

Practice Implications: Healthcare providers, primarily nurses, can use the findings of this study to improve their interactions with sexually active never pregnant female teens.