 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Sheryl B. Lyss, MD, Christopher H. Johnson, MS, Brenda Colley Gilbert, PhD, MSPH, and John S Santelli, MD, MPH. Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop K-22, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770/488-6286, slyss@cdc.gov
Background: In 2000, 21% of US teen births were repeat births to teens who had had a previous live birth; teen mothers were four times more likely to give birth than teens without prior births. Repeat teen births are associated with adverse outcomes for mother and child. Effective contraception may decrease unintended pregnancies and births. Since depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera) is a highly effective, reversible contraceptive method, we sought to describe patterns of its use among post-partum teens. Methods: We used data from the 2000 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Participants included in this analysis were post-partum mothers aged 15-19 years who were surveyed in the 10 states (AL, CO, FL, LA, NE, NC, OH, OK, SC, WV) that included a question about specific post-partum contraceptive methods. Cross-sectional, weighted data were analyzed with SUDAAN. Results: This analysis included over 3000 teen mothers. By state, 20-41% (median 33%) reported using DMPA. Use differed by race/ethnicity (Caucasian, 27%; Black, 41%; Hispanic, 33%) and by age group (15-17 years, 40%; 18-19 years, 28%). These differences persisted when stratified by both race/ethnicity and age. We will explore other factors associated with DMPA use among teen mothers in a multivariate model. Conclusions: The high proportion of post-partum teens using DMPA is striking, persists across states and racial/ethnic and age groups, and is much higher than published data for all teens. The high use may reflect increased access to medical and reproductive health services of pregnant and post-partum teens compared to other teens.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Contraceptives, Teen Pregnancy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.