Improving Adolescent Adherence to Hormonal Contraception

Improving Adolescent Adherence to Hormonal Contraception

The purpose of this study is to determine whether contraceptive compliance by young women can be improved through expanded counseling by a health educator at the initial clinic visit as compared with standard care.

Inclusion criteria:

• Sexually active females 16 to 24 years of age who present to a University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) clinic and request to initiate oral contraception for birth control.

Exclusion criteria:

• Women who are currently pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Women who wish to become pregnant within the next 12 months.
• Women who have a medical contraindication to use of estrogen (e.g., thromboembolic disease, acute liver disease, breast cancer, genital cancer, or undiagnosed genital bleeding).
• Women wishing to initiate use of a contraceptive method that is not oral, such as transdermal (the patch) or injectable (DMPA) methods, or the vaginal ring.
• Current and previous users of oral contraceptives.