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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kellie Carlyle, MA, School of Communication, The Ohio State University, 3016 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210-1339, Kenneth Steinman, PhD, MPH, School of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1841 Millikin Road, 436 Cunz Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, 614-292-3158, ksteinman@sph.osu.edu, and Marc Zimmerman, PhD, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, M5212, School of Public Health II, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029.

Despite recent improvements, pregnancy rates among African-American teens remain disturbingly high. Dual method contraceptive use (DCU) involves the simultaneous use of condoms and other methods of birth control (e.g., oral contraceptives) and has a much lower contraceptive failure rate than condom use alone. Yet few studies have examined DCU over time. This study has three aims: (1) to estimate the prevalence of DCU among sexually active urban African-American women in 9th, 12th grades and three years post high school, (2) to describe the stability of DCU over time, and (3) to describe how pregnancy experience and psychosocial variables influence changes in DCU. Data are from female, African-American adolescents participating in a longitudinal study in Flint, MI (n=360). We defined DCU as reports of “always” using condoms and “always” using other methods of birth control during sexual intercourse during the past year. Among sexually active youth, rates of DCU were 16.8% in 9th grade, 11.5% in 12th grade, and 12.6% three years post high school. In comparison, rates of consistent condom use (alone) were 42.6%, 17.6% and 14.6% respectively at each wave. Few youths maintained stable patterns of DCU over time; rather DCU was associated with concurrent patterns of sexual behavior-- specifically, infrequent sex with few partners. Experience with pregnancy, concern about pregnancy, parental monitoring and support did not influence subsequent changes in DCU. We discuss these findings in relation to methodological issues in measure adolescents' contraceptive use and sexual health promotion efforts in this population

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

(
• Describe the public health significance of dual contraceptive use; (
• State the prevalence of dual contraceptive use among young urban African-American women; (
• Describe the stability of DCU during adolescence and young adulthood; (
• Identify at least two psychosocial factors associated with dual contraceptive use in this population.

Keywords: Contraceptives, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered