Postpartum adolescents contraceptive counselling preferences.

AbstractObjectives: The optimal approach for provision and timing of postpartum contraceptive counselling for adolescents has not been established. To reduce repeat pregnancies from current USA levels of nearly 20%, a better understanding is needed of postpartum adolescent females’ preferences regarding contraceptive counselling and delivery.Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 30 USA postpartum teens (97% Black) explored pregnancy prevention and contraceptive counselling. Transcripts were independently coded by two researchers and inter-rater reliability calculated using Kappa coefficients. With a standard content analysis approach, common themes were identified, coded and summarized.Results: Findings indicated pregnancy prevention was important – two thirds of subjects reported becoming pregnant ‘too soon’, almost all did not desire another child for at least 6 years and most indicated that pregnancy prevention was either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important right now. The subjects described doctors and ...