Abstract: Although national trends point to a sharp decrease in teen birth rates between 1991 and 1997, Texas has consistently demonstrated higher rates in its adolescent population. Bexar County, the fourth largest metropolitan county in Texas, has the highest birth rates for females under 18 years old. In 1998, the school district in which our target population resides had the highest teen birth rate in Bexar County. Almost 80% of teen pregnancies are unintentional, indicating inconsistent or inappropriate birth control practices as well as inaccessible contraceptive services. Learning more about the inconsistency of contraceptive service utilization by teen mothers has implications for future maternal health projects, especially in light of research indicating that among all sexually active females, teenagers are the most likely to practice birth control sporadically or not at all.
The purpose of this presentation is to examine the factors related to the utilization of family planning services. It is hypothesized that adolescents who experience gaps in contraceptive services a) are less likely to live with a parent, b) are more mobile, c) experience greater levels of depression, and d) are less acculturated than those teens who do not experience gaps in family planning services.
The target population consists of primarily Mexican-American adolescents eligible for or receiving welfare benefits attending a large urban school district in Bexar County. Teen mothers in this national study were administered a baseline survey developed for a 10 site national study. This presentation will focus on findings from baseline data.
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants should be able to: 1) gain knowledge regarding contraceptive use among teen parents, primarily those who are Mexican-American; 2) identify the factors associated with either the realization of or disparity in family planning services; and 3) understand the implications of findings for program design and policy
Keywords: Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Service Delivery
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.