An uptake study of an on-line tool for reproductive health care information: The use of bedsider

The internet has increasingly been recognized as an effective strategy for reproductive health education; however, there are still few studies on its use for HIV/STD and pregnancy prevention among young adults. This paper describes the evaluation of Bedsider, an on-line and mobile device system developed by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy that offers a variety of supports and services including information on birth control, reminders to use birth control and of appointments, and clinic and emergency contraception locators. This study documented use of Bedsider over 12 months among 740 women aged 18 to 29 who were introduced to the site at their local Planned Parenthood clinics. About two-thirds used Bedsider during the year but this may be an undercount since some did not complete a survey or were not able to be tracked. Women who were black, Caribbean, or Latina were more likely to use the site (even though it was not in Spanish) and were also more likely to be in a long-term relationship, under 20 years old, nulliparous, and used the internet at least once a day. Over time, Bedsider users showed increases in knowledge about pregnancy and contraception, reported greater diligence in birth control use, and used more effective methods of birth control. These findings are consistent with others who have found that internet communication may be an effective approach to health education. This paper also describes the response to the research and new research and development.