254585 How young Black women perceive and value the internet for contraceptive information

Monday, October 29, 2012

Meredith D'Amore, MPH, PhD , Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine & New York University, Boston, MA
Lois McCloskey, DrPH , Department of Community Health Sciences/MCH, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Barbara G. Bokhour, PhD , Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research, US Department of Veterans Affairs, ENRM Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA
Michael K. Paasche-Orlow, MD, MA, MPH , General Internal Medicine, Boston University Medical Campus, Boston, MA
Victoria Parker, DBA , Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Objectives: To identify the preferences of young Black women in obtaining contraceptive information online and their preferred website content. Methods: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with fifteen Black women ages 18-23 and analyzed narratives using techniques informed by grounded theory. Data were coded to identify sub-themes and larger themes within the interview texts, related to the study objectives. Results: Participants valued contraceptive information from different sources for distinct reasons. The internet was valued because of its convenience, speed and anonymity. Information from clinicians was perceived as credible and personalized. Information from both sources allowed for exposure to multiple perspectives and the ability to validate information gained. They desired information about who was using different birth control methods, contraceptive options, side effects, how each method functioned and where one could obtain contraceptives. Conclusions: These findings help to gain a more detailed understanding of how young women value contraceptive information from different sources. With incorporating the preferred content expressed by the women, internet websites can become a useful mechanism for relaying contraceptive information. Information from the internet and clinicians can be used in conjunction to increase contraceptive knowledge among vulnerable populations.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the preferences of young Black women in obtaining contraceptive information online and their preferred website content.

Keywords: Adolescents, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted the interviews, analyzed the transcripts and was the primary author for this study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3198.0: PRSH Posters: Contraception