Contraceptive Use by Adolescent Females in Relation to Knowledge, and to Time and Method of Contraceptive Counseling

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Abstract
Contraceptive behavior of adolescent females was examined in relation to their level of knowledge, and time and method of contraceptive counseling. Subjects were 122 subscribers to a prepaid health plan, 13–18 years of age, unmarried, sexually active, and not desiring pregnancy. Contraceptive counseling was offered to 62 adolescents following receipt of a negative pregnancy test and to 60 adolescents following a routine medical visit. The 80 adolescents who chose to participate in the study were randomly assigned to a conventional or developmental method of counseling. The effectiveness of their contraceptive practice was measured 1 year later. Two hypotheses were not upheld: Sexually active adolescents were not more likely to accept contraceptive counseling at the time of a negative pregnancy test than at a time of a routine medical visit, and did not subsequently become more effective users of contraceptives. Two hypotheses were upheld: Effective and ineffective users of contraception did not differ in level of knowledge, and adolescents counseled by a developmental method practiced contraception more effectively than those counseled by a conventional method. Findings are discussed in terms of the theory of adolescent development and the proposition that a pregnancy scare motivates teenagers to control fertility.

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