Scared chaste? Fear-based educational curricula
Kantor, L.M.
Siecus Report 21(2): 1-15
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0091-3995 PMID: 12344724 Document Number: 325283
1/2 of respondents to an annual oral contraceptive (OC) survey expressed that more than 20% of their patients unintentionally become pregnant because of missed pills. 68% of respondents said the patients simply forgot to take them. Providers must try to help patients develop a habit of taking pills to increase compliance. This is especially important for teenagers, who are not time-oriented to comply with taking pills at the same time every day the same way an adult would. Most health care providers felt the overemphasis on the negative side effects of pill use causes women to overlook the positive effects such as reducing the risks of developing certain reproductive cancers and having less painful periods. At the student health center of Southeast Texas State University in San Marcos, clinicians try to make sure women are getting the positive message about OCs via handouts and announcements on the Campus TV and radio stations hoping that this will lead to better compliance. Thereby information about negative side effects is more acceptable. Effective communication and understanding are key to patient compliance with taking OCs.