Recorded presentation

Toni L. Felice, PhD¹, Kay A. Armstrong, MS², Janet Adams, PhD¹, and Paul G. Whittaker, DPhil³. (1) Applied Research Department, Family Health Council, Inc., 960 Penn Avenue, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (412) 288-2130, tfelice@fhcinc.org, (2) Public Health Consultant, 645 Harper Ave, Drexel Hill, PA 19026, (3) Family Planning Council, 260 S. Broad St., Suite 1000, Philadelphia, PA 19102

EC has the potential to drastically reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in the U.S. yearly. However, some fear that women, especially younger woman, will use EC as their primary contraceptive method resulting in more unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. We address this issue with data from an ongoing NICHD-funded longitudinal EC study. Of the 1087 women enrolled in nine family planning clinics in southeastern and western Pennsylvania, approximately half (473) were randomly assigned to three in-depth interviews (baseline, 9 and 18 months). Data from the first two in-depth interviews examine differences between women 15-18 and 19-39 in terms of past EC use, events leading to EC use, primary contraceptive method during the past 12 months, and method used at last vaginal sexual encounter. Positive pregnancy and STI tests in the past 9 months are compared for women 15-18 and 19-39 who have and have not ever taken EC. Preliminary findings indicate no difference in EC use between age groups. Women 19–39 are more likely than those 15-18 to use pills as their primary method (x2 = 3.59, p = .05) and as the method used at last sexual encounter (x2 = 3.80, p = .05). When compared to older women or women who had never used EC, neither younger women nor former EC users were more likely to report unprotected sex, or positive pregnancy or STI tests, during the interval between the first and second interviews.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss differences between younger woman (15-1
• and older woman (19-3
• in terms of contracptive choices
• Discuss differences between younger woman (15-1
• and older woman (19-3
• in terms of EC use and events that lead to EC use
• Discuss differences between younger women and old woman who have and who have not used EC in terms of positive pregnancy and positive STI tests

Keywords: Contraceptives, Sexual Behavior

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.

Recorded presentation