Attitudes and beliefs about the intrauterine device among teenagers and young women☆
Received 4 July 2009; received in revised form 5 January 2010; accepted 24 February 2010. published online 14 April 2010.
Abstract
Background
Little is known about attitudes and beliefs among teenagers and young women about the intrauterine device (IUD).
Study Design
We surveyed 252 women, ages 14–27 years, presenting for appointments at an urban family planning clinic about demographics, sexual and birth control history, and opinions about the IUD.
Results
Fifty-five percent had not heard of the IUD. Participants who were parous were 4.4 times more likely to be interested in the IUD than nulliparous participants. Independent of parity, participants who had heard of the IUD from a health care provider were 2.7 times more likely to be interested in using the method. The study population was at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs); however, 82% of participants predicted that they would increase or experience no change in their condom use with an IUD in place.
Conclusions
Health care providers should be encouraged to talk to teenagers and young women who are at high risk for unintended pregnancy, both parous and nulliparous, about using the IUD.
aDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaiser Permanente, Vallejo, CA 94589, USA
bDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Corresponding author. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco General Hospital-6D, UCSF, 1001 Potrero, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. Tel.: +1 415 206 4692; fax: +1 415 206 3112.
ABSTRACT