Influence of family planning counseling in an adolescent clinic on sexual activity and contraceptive use
Berger, D.K.; Perez, G.; Kyman, W.; Perez, L.; Garson, J.; Menéndez, M.; Bistritz, J.; Blanchard, H.; Dombrowski, C.
Journal of Adolescent Health Care Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 8(5): 436-440
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0197-0070 PMID: 3667398 DOI: 10.1016/0197-0070(87)90233-6Document Number: 349233
We evaluated whether family planning counseling (FPC) in an adolescent clinic promoted the onset of sexually activity among the non-sexually active teens and/or increased contraceptive use among the sexual active teens. The FPC focused on the teens' establishing sexual values, the right to say "no," abstinence and alternate forms of intimacy, consequences of intercourse, and the various contraceptive methods. Data for one year were collected on the adolescents' first and subsequent visits to a medically oriented, municipal outpatient adolescent clinic. There were 383 teenagers who qualified for the study. Of these, 35% (134) reported premarital sexual activity. During the study period, 3% (8) of the 249 nonsexually active teens reported becoming sexually active. Among the 134 sexually active teens at clinic entry, 27% reported using a contraceptive method at their most recent sexual encounter. Among the 142 sexually active adolescents at the conclusion of the study, 76% reported contraceptive use at their most recent sexual encounter (p < 0.001). We conclude that the provision of FPC to nonsexually active and sexually active teens does not appear to promote the onset of sexual activity significantly among the non-sexually active group, although it significantly increased contraceptive use among the sexually active group.