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Yarger J, Schroeder R, Cabral MA, Lamme JS, McCulloch CE, Trieu SL, de Jounge A, Harper CC. An Educational Intervention to Raise Awareness of Contraceptive Options Among Young People. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2021; 31:252-260. [PMID: 34101500 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Young people in the United States know little about contraceptive options available to them, although method use is sensitive to individual preferences, and method switching is common. For young people to gain reproductive autonomy, a first step is to be aware of different contraceptives, including hormonal and nonhormonal methods. We tested whether an educational intervention delivered on community college campuses was effective in increasing contraceptive awareness. Materials and Methods: We developed a low-cost educational intervention featuring youth-friendly visual tools and tested its impact on method awareness and knowledge among 1,051 students of all genders, aged 18-25 years, at five community colleges. We used generalized estimating equations to test changes in awareness of a range of methods, including male and female (internal) condoms, the pill, patch, vaginal ring, shot, intrauterine devices, implant, and emergency contraception. Results: Over 90% of participants were aware of male condoms and the pill at baseline, but fewer had heard of other options (ranging from 31% to 76% for different methods). Across all methods, awareness increased to a mean of 88% among female participants and 82% among male participants postintervention. Awareness of the full range of methods increased from 31% to 55% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1-6.2]) among female participants and 11% to 36% (aOR: 10.8, 95% CI: 5.3-21.8) among male participants postintervention. The intervention was similarly effective by sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, nativity, or insurance coverage. Conclusion: This educational intervention significantly improved all students' awareness of a range of contraceptives, supporting one important aspect of reproductive health for young people in community settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Yarger
- Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rosalyn Schroeder
- Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Marta A Cabral
- Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jacqueline S Lamme
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, U.S. Naval Hospital Bremerton, Bremerton, Washington, USA
| | - Charles E McCulloch
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sang Leng Trieu
- Student Health Center, Ohlone College, Fremont, California, USA
| | | | - Cynthia C Harper
- Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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