HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Raine, T. Articles by Darney, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Raine, T. Articles by Darney, P.

Race, Adolescent Contraceptive Choice, and Pregnancy at Presentation to a Family Planning Clinic

From the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California, San Francisco, California.

Address reprint requests to: Tina Raine, MD, MPH, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Ward 6D, San Francisco, California 94110; E-mail: tinar{at}ob.ucsf.edu.

OBJECTIVE: To assess racial/ethnic differences in pregnancy and contraceptive choice among adolescent family planning patients.

METHODS: The charts of 605 female adolescents presenting to a teen family planning clinic for an initial visit were retrospectively reviewed for demographic and reproductive health information, sexual risk behaviors, pregnancy, and current and dispensed contraceptive method. Logistic and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the association of these factors with pregnancy and contraceptive choice.

RESULTS: Black adolescents were three times more likely than white adolescents to be pregnant at presentation to the clinic (P = .05). Ninety-one percent of adolescents did not want to be pregnant; pregnancy desire was highly correlated with current contraceptive method. None of the adolescents who reported being unsure or wanting to be pregnant used hormonal methods. Black adolescents were more likely to rely on barrier methods than hormonal methods (P = .04); choice of barrier methods over hormonal methods was not correlated with risk for sexually transmitted diseases. There were no differences, however, in method dispensed by race. Black and white adolescents were equally likely to choose hormonal methods at the end of the visit, but adolescents who used hormonal methods at presentation—who were more likely to be white—were significantly more likely to leave the clinic with hormonal methods.

CONCLUSION: Black race/ethnicity was an independent risk factor for use of less effective barrier contraceptive methods and pregnancy at presentation to the clinic. Understanding how black adolescents make contraceptive choices is essential to helping them avoid unintended pregnancies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Gerend and M. Pai Social Determinants of Black-White Disparities in Breast Cancer Mortality: A Review Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2008; 17(11): 2913 - 2923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. R. Raine, C. C. Harper, C. H. Rocca, R. Fischer, N. Padian, J. D. Klausner, and P. D. Darney Direct Access to Emergency Contraception Through Pharmacies and Effect on Unintended Pregnancy and STIs: A Randomized Controlled Trial JAMA, January 5, 2005; 293(1): 54 - 62. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Johnson, T. Raine, C. Harper, M. Paukku, and P. Darney Race, Adolescent Contraceptive Choice, and Pregnancy at Presentation to a Family Planning Clinic Obstet. Gynecol., July 1, 2002; 100(1): 174 - 175. [Full Text] [PDF]