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  • Title: City officials planning to promote Norplant.
    Author: Banisky S.
    Journal: Sun; 1992 Dec 03; ():1A, 11A. PubMed ID: 12317958.
    Abstract:
    The adolescent pregnancy rate in Baltimore, Maryland is 97/1000 15 to 17 years old females and one of the highest rates in the US. In fact, Baltimore has had a chronically high rate. The rate for Maryland is almost 3 times lower (35). Many adolescent mothers do not finish high school and are condemned to poverty. Thus, the Baltimore Health Commissioner has created the Baltimore City Norplant Consortium made up of hospitals, private physicians, and foundation officials. The Commissioner hopes to promote the 6 capsule subdermal implant which steadily releases a contraceptive. Norplant, to teenagers who either use contraceptives inconsistently or do not use them at all. Yet, this group is the hardest group to motivate so the Consortium is facing a real challenge. The Consortium plans on a Norplant advertising campaign and would like family life classes in city schools to discuss Norplant. It is advancing its goals carefully, however, because of possible criticism that it is coercing poor teenagers to accept Norplant. Teenagers have already been requesting Norplant from city clinics. If 5-10% of adolescents who use contraception irregularly would use Norplant, the adolescent pregnancy rate would decline significantly. In 1992, the Abell Foundation dedicated almost $200,000 to buying Norplant for women with no medical insurance to grant theses women the same option as other women, because capsules are expensive and physicians charge a higher fee to insert Norplant. Abell is funding an 11-minute educational videotape featuring women and men from Maryland who explain how Norplant has affected them. The video is to be shown in clinic waiting rooms. Presently 4000-5000 women in Baltimore have accepted Norplant. Nationwide 71% of Norplant users are less than 30 years old. It is important to provide adequate counseling for younger patients including possible side effects, e.g., irregular bleeding.
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