| Learning Objective #1: Describe the relationship between Black American adolescent attitudes about pregnancy at the time of an NPT and their contraceptive use patterns within 18 months | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe the relationship between Black American adolescent attitudes about pregnancy at the time of an NPT and their pregnancy outcomes 18 months after the NPT |
Purpose: Examine Black adolescents' contraceptive behaviors and pregnancy outcomes as they relate to their attitudes about pregnancy at time of a negative pregnancy test (NPT). Conceptual Framework: Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (Prochaska, Diclemente & Norcross, 1992). Methods: Descriptive longitudinal study of teens enrolled at time of NPT and followed with medical record review 18 months later. Sample and Setting: 49 Black-American adolescents (17 +1.3 years) having NPT result and with signed consent were enrolled from a women's health center in an urban medical center. Instruments: Baseline interviews at time of NPT included demographic and health information. Attitudes about pregnancy were assessed with interview questions and with the revised Pregnancy Importance Questionnaire (Bloom & Hall, 1999). A record review abstraction form was used to review medical records at 18 months for subsequent pregnancies and contraceptive use patterns. Results: At baseline, 5.3% of teens reported feeling disappointed/very disappointed, 21.1% were ambivalent, and 73.7% were very glad/glad about their NPT results. Preliminary medical record review indicated intermittent use of combinations of contraceptive methods and by 18 months 24.4% of the participants experienced one or more pregnancies. There were mixed findings related to pregnancy attitudes and outcomes. 32% of women who were glad/very glad about their NPT at baseline became pregnant by 18 months. Implications: Findings suggest that 75.6% of the sample delayed pregnancy for 18 months with inconsistent use of contraceptive methods and condoms. Attitudes about pregnancy were complex; Clinicians need to assess each adolescent's attitudes about pregnancy and contraception, initially at the time of NPT and in an ongoing way in follow-up reproductive health visits. Consistent condom use needs to be reinforced.