Sexual health policies in other industrialized countries: are there lessons for the United States?

Health professionals have been concerned about the high rates of unwanted and unplanned pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. A major concern has been why these rates in the U.S. are so much higher than in most other western industrialized countries. In this article I summarize major national and comparative studies that have attempted to understand how the U.S. can do better in providing for the sexual health of its citizens. I also discuss approaches to sexual health in countries that do substantially better on the aforementioned indicators of sexual health. This review indicates that the recommendations of health and social science experts in the U.S. are consistent with approaches in countries where programs have done a better job in meeting the sexual health needs of their populations.