This new book on adolescent pregnancy is a tale of human drama based in Baltimore, Md. The drama includes the following major players: impoverished adolescents; dedicated professionals; and community-based leaders who interact with their colleagues in outstanding academic health centers.
The drama unfolds with the poignant story of impoverished adolescents whose life trajectory of disadvantage is set at an early age. The authors comment: "... adolescent pregnancy and childbearing appears to be normative rather than deviant behavior among inner city residents." Recognizing the disadvantaged status of these young people, dedicated professionals enter this challenging arena to develop programs aimed at improving medical and social outcomes for these adolescents.
The leading players of this drama early on were Dr T. M. King, Dr Annelies Zachary, Dr David Youngs, and Ms Denise Shipp. Dr Janet B. Hardy, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins University, then assumed leadership of the projects. Dr