Informal and formal reproductive health communication for adolescent girls in the United States: Results from two cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth

Purpose: To investigate informal and formal reproductive health communication among adolescent girls in the United States and changes in communication from 2002 to 2008.

Methods: Data were pooled from two cycles of the NSFG, a population-based survey of U.S. women and men ages 15-44. Uni-variate and multivariate analyses, restricted to adolescent girls (ages 15-19 yrs) (2002 n=1065; 2006 n=1261), focused on questions regarding informal (parental) and formal (school, church, community) reproductive health communication.

Results: Of the total sample (n=2326), 75% reported any informal reproductive health communication, including abstinence (60%), sexually transmitted infections (STI) (53%), any contraception (58%) and specifically contraceptive methods (50%); 9% received only abstinence communication. Fewer participants received parental communication on condoms (19%) and contraceptive access (38%). Of the 92% reporting having received any formal communication, abstinence (87%) and contraceptive methods (71%) were common; 21% received formal communication on only abstinence. From 2002 to 2008, informal communication increased 7% (p<0.001), abstinence 4% (P=0.03) and contraception 6% (p=0.007); condoms decreased 18% (p<0.001). Formal communication did not change (p=0.63). In multivariate analyses, age, intercourse initiation and year were predictive factors for receiving informal communication. Poverty level, menarcheal age and gynecological history were predictive of formal communication.

Conclusions: While abstinence communication was common in the past decade, increasingly so by parents, greater focus on contraception including condoms and access may support improved public health outcomes.