In 2000, a drop-in family planning clinic (Access to Reproductive Care, ARC) opened in New Orleans integrating services, clinic design and media to reflect local youth preferences. The target clientele for the first of three years was youth who have limited access to health care or first time family planning users.
Several elements contributed to successful recruitment of youth to the ARC clinic. A substantial investment was made in formative research. Research results guided services, hours and days of operation and prepared staff for sensitive topics. Peer advisors interpreted the research results for the promotional media. An innovative "Hip-Hop" media was developed to aid community outreach workers to target youth with specific interventions.
The ARC evaluation demonstrated that it successfully recruited large numbers of teens, 432, in nine months of operation. Teens that came to the clinic were aged 13 – 24, with the majority 19 and older. Several indicators identified youth with poor family planning access - 36.7% reported no usual source of health care, 24.0% used emergency rooms for health care and only 17.3% reported having insurance. Over a quarter (27.4%) of the youth had used family planning in the past year at public health clinics.
The ARC team reevaluated its approach in year two. Several factors complicated the efficient delivery of services to the target population, including the closure of local Public of Health Units, and local university student clinic policies. Second year planning reflected the changed environment.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: * List elements that contribute to recruiting youth with poor access to family planning in inner-city environments; * Identify indicators that identify youth with poor access to family planning; * Describe the effect of environmental factors on project planning and appropriate adaptations to adjust to change.
Keywords: Media, Adolescents
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.