Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116721

Ruhul Amin, PhD, Institute for Urban Research, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251-0001, 443-885-3004, RAmin@Jewel.Morgan.edu and Michele Mouttapa, PhD, Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Morgan State University, 2201 East Argonne Drive, Montebello Complex, Room 103-D, Baltimore, MD 21251-0001.

This research reports the impact of a school-based comprehensive program for pregnant teens on their contraceptive use, future contraceptive intention, and desire for more children. Self-report survey data were collected in 2000-2001 from 371 low-income pregnant and parenting adolescents attending an alternative public school in Baltimore City--the Paquin School for Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents. Follow-up surveys were administered in 2005 to assess young mothers' current status of contraceptive use, specific methods of contraception used, future contraceptive intentions, and desire for more children. In 2000-2001, 40.8% of the respondents desired more children but nearly all of them (96.6%) also expressed intentions to use contraception in the future. Preliminary analyses of the 2005 follow-up survey indicate that respondents' desires to have more children have significantly declined, and future contraceptive use intentions have significantly increased. Current contraceptive prevalence rates have remained high in 2005. Contraceptive prevalence rates, desire for more children, and future contraceptive intentions are then analyzed by maternal socioeconomic characteristics. Findings from this analytic sample are compared with other available data of similar young mothers. The findings suggest that the Paquin school's alternative comprehensive program has a long-term impact on responsible family planning.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the components of an effective school-based program for adolescent mothers.
• Know prevalence rates of contraception use among adolescent mothers.
• Develop an awareness of how contraception use and desire for more children changes within mothers over time.

Keywords: Adolescents, Reproductive Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.