Influence of Contraception Use on the Reproductive Health of Adolescents and Young Adults

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are often prescribed to adolescents and young adults for the treatment of health problems and to avoid unwanted pregnancies. We hypothesized that the use of OCs, among adolescents and young adults, is associated with a greater likelihood of pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and sexual behaviors that will enhance those problems (i.e., earlier sexual debut and more sexual partners) than adolescents and young adults not using OCs. To test this hypothesis, data from 1,365 adolescents and young adults in the 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) were used to describe the influence of ever use of OCs on ever having sex, sexual debut, multiple sexual partners, STDs, PID, pregnancy, and abortion. A secondary purpose was to evaluate protective factors from unhealthy sexual practices like religiosity, church attendance, and intact families. We found that the “ever use” of OCs by US adolescents and young adults results in a greater likelihood of ever having sex, STDs, PID, pregnancy, and abortion compared with those adolescents and young adults who never used OCs. Furthermore, those adolescents who ever used OCs had significantly more male sexual partners than those who never used OCs, and they also had an earlier sexual debut by almost two years. Conversely, we found that frequent church attendance, identification of the importance of religion, and having an intact family among adolescents were associated with less likelihood of unsafe sexual practices. We concluded that the use of OCs by adolescents and young adults might be considered a health risk. Further research is recommended to confirm these associations. Summary: The purpose of this article was to show the correlation between contraceptive use in adolescents and negative sexual outcomes. We used data from the 2011–2013 NSFG and demonstrated that never married adolescents who used oral hormonal contraception were three times more likely to have an STD, have PID, and to become pregnant, and, surprisingly, ten times more likely of having an abortion compared to noncontracepting adolescents. These are outcomes that contraception is intended to prevent. These data also showed that the contraceptors had significantly more male partners than their contraceptive counterparts. Protective factors such as church attendance and family cohesiveness were associated with a decreased likelihood of sexual activity

Efficacy of a New Postpartum Transition Protocol for Avoiding Pregnancy

Introduction: The postpartum period is a challenging time for family planning, especially for women who breastfeed. Breastfeeding delays the return of menses (lactational amenorrhea), but ovulation often occurs before first menses. For this reason, a protocol was developed to assist women in identifying their return of fertility postpartum to avoid pregnancy. Methods: In this prospective, 12-month, longitudinal cohort study, 198 postpartum women aged 20 to 45 years (mean age, 30.2 years) were taught a protocol for avoiding pregnancy with either online or in-person instruction. A hand-held fertility monitor was used to identify the fertile period by testing for urinary changes in estrogen and luteinizing hormone, and the results were tracked on a web site. During lactational amenorrhea, urine testing was done in 20-day intervals. When menses returned, the monitor was reset at the onset of each new menstrual cycle. Participants were instructed to avoid intercourse during the identified fertile period. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate unintentional pregnancy rates through the first 12 months postpartum. Results: There were 8 unintended pregnancies per 100 women at 12 months postpartum. With correct use, there were 2 unintended pregnancies per 100 women at 12 months. Conclusion: The online postpartum protocol may effectively assist a select group of women in avoiding pregnancy during the transition to regular menstrual cycles

Effectiveness of an Online Natural Family Planning Program for Breastfeeding Women

Objective To analyze the effectiveness of an online, nurse-managed natural family planning (NFP) program among breastfeeding women and subgroups of these women. Design Longitudinal comparative cohort study. Setting A university-based online NFP education program and menstrual cycle charting system. Participants Women (N = 816) with a mean age of 30.3 years (standard deviation = 4.5) who registered to use the online NFP system and indicated they were breastfeeding. Methods Participants tracked their fertile times with an electronic hormone fertility monitor (EHFM), cervical mucus monitoring, or both. All unintended pregnancies were evaluated by professional nurses. Results The correct use pregnancy rates were 3 per 100 users over 12 cycles of use, and typical rates were 14 per 100 at 12 cycles of use. At 12 cycles of use, total pregnancy rates were 16 per 100 for electronic hormone fertility monitor users (n = 380), 81 per 100 among mucus-only users (n = 45), and 14 per 100 for electronic hormone fertility monitor plus mucus users (n = 391). Conclusion Use of a nurse-managed online NFP program for women can be effective to help women avoid pregnancy while breastfeeding, especially with correct and consistent use

Comparison of Abstinence and Coital Frequency between Two Natural Methods of Family Planning

Problem Statement: The length of periodic abstinence, due to overestimation of the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle is often a reason for dissatisfaction, discontinuation, and user error with natural family planning (NFP) methods. The objective of this research was to compare the length of required abstinence (i.e., estimated fertility) and coital frequency between two NFP methods. Study Design: Analysis of existing data from a 12 month prospective comparison study in which participants were randomized into either an electronic hormonal fertility monitor (EHFM) group or a cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) group, both of which included a fertility algorithm as a double check for the beginning and end of the estimated FW. The current study involved 197 women (mean age 29.7, SD=5.4) who used the EHFM to estimate the FW and 162 women (mean age 30.4, SD=5.3) who used CMM to estimate the FW. They produced 1,669 menstrual cycles of data. Number of days of estimated fertility and coitus was extracted from each cycle and t-tests were used to compare the means of these two variables between the two NFP methods. Results: After six months of use, the EHFM group had statistically fewer days of estimated fertility than the CMM group (13.25 days, SD=2.79 versus 13.65 days, SD=2.99; t=2.07, p = .04) and significantly more coitus (4.22 coital acts, SD=3.16 versus 4.05 acts, SD=2.88, t=1.17, p=.026). Conclusion: The use of the EHFM seems to provide more objectivity and confidence in self-estimating the FW and use of non-fertile days for intercourse when avoiding pregnancy

Alien Registration- Bouchard, Thomas (Saint Agatha, Aroostook County)

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Book Review: Choosing Elites: Selecting the Best and the Brightest at Top Universities and Elsewhere. by Robert Klitgaard.

Book review: Choosing Elites: Selecting the Best and the Brightest at Top Universities and Elsewhere. By Robert Klitgaard. New York: Basic Books. 1985. Pp. 267. Reviewed by: Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr

Book Review: Choosing Elites: Selecting the Best and the Brightest at Top Universities and Elsewhere. by Robert Klitgaard.

Book review: Choosing Elites: Selecting the Best and the Brightest at Top Universities and Elsewhere. By Robert Klitgaard. New York: Basic Books. 1985. Pp. 267. Reviewed by: Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr

Dissociation between Cervical Mucus and Urinary Hormones during the Postpartum Return of Fertility in Breastfeeding Women

Identifying the return of fertility with cervical mucus observations is challenging during the postpartum period. Use of urinary measurements of estrogen and progesterone can assist in understanding the return to fertility during this period. The purposes of this study were to describe the postpartum return of fertility by an analysis of total estrogen (TE) and pregnanediol glucuronide (PDG) profiles and to correlate these profiles with cervical mucus observations. Twenty-six participants collected urine samples during the postpartum period and recorded mucus scores. TE and PDG hormones were analyzed and compared with mucus scores. During amenorrhea, mucus reflected TE changes in only 35 percent of women; after amenorrhea, typical mucus patterns were seen in 33 percent of cycles. We concluded that postpartum mucus and hormone profiles are significantly dissociated but that monitoring urinary hormones may assist in identifying the return of fertility. We also identified different hormonal patterns in the return to fertility. The postpartum period is a challenging time for identifying the return of fertility. The purposes of this study were to describe the hormonal patterns during the return of fertility and to correlate these patterns with cervical mucus observations. Twenty-six postpartum women collected urine samples and recorded mucus scores. Urinary estrogen and progesterone hormones were analyzed and compared with mucus scores. Before the return of menses, mucus reflected hormonal changes in only 35 percent women and after first menses in 33 percent of cycles. We found that hormone profiles do not correlate well with mucus observations during the postpartum return of fertility