Oral

This session examines decision making about sexuality and contraceptive use in the United States, Guatemala and Madagascar. The first presenter will share how the results of focus groups with young adolescents and parents in Guatemala and Madagascar were used to adapt the “My Changing Body: Fertility Awareness for Young People” curriculum in order to improve the knowledge and ability of parents to communicate with and support positive behaviors of their children. The Illinois Subsequent Pregnancy Prevention program has been successful in delaying second pregnancies among first-time adolescent mothers. The authors will discuss the program components and the results of an examination of the role support by the participant’s mother and the father of the participant’s baby plays on school status and contraceptive use. The next paper focuses on contraceptive decision-making in young adult women. The results of semi-structured individual interviews conducted with women between the ages of 19 and 30 will be discussed. Decision-making models for female-centered contraception, condoms, and non-use will be described. The final presentation examines the influence of social and behavioral factors that have been suggested in literature as possible influences on intention to use Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP) among college women. A list of predictors of intention to use ECP’s as well as key factors found to be barriers to ECP use will be presented.

Session Objectives: 1) Understand the influence of social support networks on contraceptive use 2) Describe successful program for improving knowledge and ability of parents to communicate with and support positive behaviors of young adolescents 3) Identify differences between adolescent mothers with and without support from their mothers and fathers of their child at entry to a program 4) Identify strategies to address social and behavioral factors that are barriers to ECP use.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)