Factors associated with provision of long-acting reversible contraception among adolescent health care providers

Long-acting reversible contraceptives for teenagers: primary care recommendations

Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods are underutilized in the adolescent population despite their superior efficacy over non-LARC methods. The purpose of this article is to discuss the barriers that lead to underutilization of these methods and present an evidence-based approach for the use of LARC methods among adolescents in the primary care setting.

Intrauterine devices at six months: does patient age matter? Results from an urban family medicine federally qualified health center (FQHC) network

BACKGROUND

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) can address high rates of unintended pregnancy among adolescents in the United States by increasing access to intrauterine devices (IUDs) in underserved settings. Despite national guidelines endorsing adolescent use of IUDs, some physicians remain concerned about IUD tolerance and safety in adolescents. Therefore we compared adolescents and adults in a family physician staffed FQHC network with regard to (1) IUD postinsertion experience, (2) device discontinuation, and (3) sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among women <36 years old who had an IUD inserted in 2011 at a New York City FQHC staffed by family physicians.

RESULTS

We included 684 women (27% adolescents, 73% adults). During the 6-month postinsertion period, 59% of adolescents and 43% of adults initiated IUD-related clinical contact after insertion, most commonly for bleeding changes and pelvic or abdominal pain. There were no significant differences between groups in IUD expulsion or removal or STI rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Urban FQHC providers may anticipate that, compared with their adult IUD users, adolescents will initiate more clinical follow-up visits after insertion. Both groups will, however, have similar clinical concerns about, reasons for, and rate of device discontinuation and low STI rates.