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Abstract #157972

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Christina I. Fowler, PhD, MPH, Div, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, PO Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 28809-2194, 919-316-3447, cfowler@rti.org, Janet B. Mitchell, PhD, Division for Health Services and Social Policy Research, RTI International, 1440 Main Str, Ste 310, Waltham, MA 02451, and Jiantong Wang, MS, Statistics & Epidemiology, RTI International, Koger Center, Oxford Building Ste 119, 2951 Flowers Road South, Atlanta, GA 30344.

Black and Hispanic women have unintended pregnancy rates that are 2.8 and 2.2 times higher, respectively, than whites. Contraceptive use patterns may account for some of this difference. Although black and Hispanic women use contraceptives at a rate similar to whites, they are less likely than whites to use highly effective reversible methods, but they are more likely to experience accidental failure. Public programs have reduced racial/ethnic and income differences in use of any family planning or preventive gynecological (PG) care. However, racial/ethnic differences in use of specific types of FP and PG services remain.

We use 2002 NSFG data for 3,484 white, black, and Hispanic women at risk of unintended pregnancy to assess whether racial/ethnic group differences exist in the use of any birth control (BC) or any preventive gynecological (PG) services in the past 12 months. For women who report use of any BC (n=2,205) or PG services (n=2,736), we examine whether racial/ethnic differences exist in the types of services received. We estimated bi- and multinomial logistic regression models, using SUDAAN to account for the complex survey design. Results indicate no significant racial/ethnic differences in use of any BC or PG services, some but differences in care content.

Learning Objectives:

• Illustrate the importance of examining the effects of race/ethnicity and other access-related factors across different types and combinations of BC or PG care.
• Analyze how barriers to BC and PG care differ, and how publicly funded clinics and private and public (e.g., Medicaid) health insurance can enhance access for those at risk of unintended pregnancy.
• Identify vulnerable groups of women who at risk for poor access.

Keywords: Family Planning, Access and Services

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout