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  • Title: Adolescent girls' attitudes toward contraceptive subdermal implants.
    Author: Dabrow SM, Merrick CL, Conlon M.
    Journal: J Adolesc Health; 1995 May; 16(5):360-6. PubMed ID: 7662685.
    Abstract:
    Norplant, which has been shown to be a highly effective and acceptable contraceptive for adult women, may also be a very useful contraceptive for adolescents. This study is designed to determine the level of interest in Norplant for adolescent girls with and without children, their attitudes toward various features of Norplant, and the demographic and psychosocial factors predictive of their interest. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 112 adolescents attending our pediatric or adolescent clinic. Data from 28 adolescent mothers and 79 nulliparous adolescents were analyzed. Fifty-six percent of the subjects had heard of Norplant prior to the survey. The overall level of interest in Norplant was high; 70% of the adolescents without children, and 79% of the adolescent mothers were interested. In comparison to oral contraceptives, 73% of those without children and 89% of those with children thought Norplant would be a better contraceptive. The specific features of Norplant liked by 87% and 81% of the subjects, respectively, were not needing to take pills every day and its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy. The characteristics seen as most undesirable related to potential side effects with acne being mentioned by 87% of the subjects. Recursive partitioning analysis demonstrates that more than one prior pregnancy was the main characteristic predictive of very high levels of interest. In summary, this study demonstrates high levels of interest in Norplant by adolescents and suggests that it should be offered as a contraceptive option, especially to those girls who have previously been pregnant. Questionnaires completed by 107 adolescents (average age, 16.5 years) recruited from Florida clinics indicated substantial interest in Norplant contraceptive implants, especially among those with a previous pregnancy. Included in the sample were 28 adolescents 13-20 years of age who were caring for one or more children. 40 (55%) of the adolescents with a history of sexual activity acknowledged having intercourse in the past year without use of contraception. Overall, 56% had heard of Norplant prior to the survey; the mass media was the primary knowledge source. 70% of those without children and 79% of adolescent mothers stated that they were interested in the method; moreover, 73% of nulliparous women and 89% of mothers thought Norplant would be superior to oral contraceptive use. Convenience and effectiveness were the most frequently cited positive aspects of Norplant. On the other hand, significant percentages of adolescents expressed concern about Norplant-related side effects: acne (87%), headache (83%), weight change (71%), and menstrual irregularities (71%). The main predictor of interest in Norplant was number of pregnancies; the 12 adolescents who had two or more previous pregnancies expressed the highest degree of interest. Early age at menarche (12.5 years and under) and a high number of sexual partners (4.5 and above) were also positively associated with interest in Norplant. Thus, adolescents who are most at risk of an unintended pregnancy are also the subgroup most receptive to Norplant use.
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