Empowering Adolescent Mothers in the Choice of Contraceptive Methods at the Postpartum Period: Avoiding a Subsequent Pregnancy

Abstract

Objective Almost 80% of adolescent pregnancies are unplanned, and between 28 and 63% of adolescent mothers had a repeated pregnancy within 18 months. Among girls with repeated pregnancies, two-thirds reported that the pregnancy was unplanned. We aim to assess contraceptive use by adolescent mothers with increasing choice for long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods in postpartum consultation after a semistructured group intervention involving adolescent mothers. Methods Retrospective observational study conducted at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, involving new antenatal and postpartum education groups for adolescents. At postpartum consultations, the adolescents chose their contraceptive. The data was compared with previous series followed in a period before the implementation of the education group – a historical control group. Results We included 129 adolescent after childbirth from January 1st, 2015 through July 31st, 2017. Out of this total, 63% had ever used contraceptive methods before pregnancy, and the most frequent method was combined oral contraceptives (33%) followed by condoms (21%). At the first postpartum consultation, the most common contraceptive chosen was intrauterine contraception (IUC) (37.2%) and depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) (34.1%). When comparing the rates before and after the education interventions, there was a 3-fold increase in the use of IUCs. Conclusion Antenatal and postpartum education have shown a significant increase in the choice for LARC methods among adolescent mothers, with very high acceptability after a period using the method. The educational groups performed during the antenatal care and beyond the gestational period are easy to be applied worldwide with low dependence on funding.

Acceptability of ENG‐releasing subdermal implants among postpartum Brazilian young women during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…20 Age-appropriate language, images, and graphics are essential for explaining to young women about their contraceptive options, so that they can make a free-choice, which in turn leads to better adherence. 21 The acceptance rate of ENG-implants among women who had their antenatal care at the study center was high, more than 80%, where educational groups of contraceptive methods are routinely held.…”

“…Multidisciplinary group guidance held during antenatal care and the postpartum period are important health promotion tools that are easy to apply and do not require high levels of funding 20 . Age‐appropriate language, images, and graphics are essential for explaining to young women about their contraceptive options, so that they can make a free‐choice, which in turn leads to better adherence 21 . The acceptance rate of ENG‐implants among women who had their antenatal care at the study center was high, more than 80%, where educational groups of contraceptive methods are routinely held.…”

Features of Pregnancy and Delivery in Adolescent Women

“…Дослідники різних країн світу єдині в думці, що юнацька вагітність складає важливу медичну та соціальну проблему, тому, перш за все, необхідно з'ясувати фактори ризику формування перинатальної патології. Актуальність даної проблеми сприяла розробці первинної профілактики перинатальної патології у юних жінок, адже проблема полягає не тільки в її ранній діагностиці та своєчасній корекції, а і у виявленні тих причин, внаслідок котрих вона виникає [18,19,20].…”

Contracepção e adolescência(s): revisão integrativa

“…Nas unidades de saúde, evidenciou-se a necessidade de estreitamento dos vínculos entre profissionais e adolescentes na perspectiva de construir um Londrina, v. 12, n. 3, p. 137-162, dez. 2021 conhecimento sobre os assuntos tratados, que considere as experiências dos jovens e os saberes trazidos pelos profissionais, além de considerar o adolescente como sujeito de direitos, tendo sua intimidade preservada na relação com o profissional de saúde (Alves & Brandão, 2009) e a criação de grupos educacionais ao longo do pré-natal e a extrapolação para os grupos educacionais para promoção da saúde, para além do período gestacional (Borovac-Pinheiro et al, 2019).…”