Youth and Guardian Expectations of Privacy in Adolescent Health Care.

PURPOSE: Adolescent access to confidential care is codified by most states with age-specific laws; however, adolescent and guardian awareness of these laws are poorly understood. In this study, we assessed adolescent and guardian perceptions of conditional confidentiality in health care. METHODS: We surveyed youth aged 11-18 years, and guardians accompanying youth seeking care at an urban adolescent outpatient clinic that provides adolescent primary and subspecialty care. Participants completed brief True/False surveys which queried whether a parent would be notified for common, hypothetical scenarios. We analyzed adolescent responses by age group and compared responses of adolescents and guardians. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy nine adolescents and 178 guardians completed the survey. Among participants, 86% of adolescents and 67% of guardians believed they understood which health topics were confidential. Adolescent and guardian answers aligned with mandatory reporting laws for scenarios concerning safety and suicidality. Younger adolescents consistently underestimated their legal right to privacy for all hypothetical scenarios. Many adolescents anticipated disclosure to parents for confidential services, including contraception, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infection testing. Guardians expected disclosure about sexual health services at higher rates than they did about substance use. DISCUSSION: We identified age-associated knowledge gaps among participants pertaining to adolescent privacy in the clinical setting. These deficits were found in a setting where adolescent privacy is routinely discussed, and our findings may underestimate the knowledge gap in the general pediatric population where confidentiality may not be discussed as often. Providers caring for adolescents share the responsibility of educating both youth and families about the importance of adolescent confidentiality.

Substance Use and Anxiety About Pain Among Patients Seeking Abortion Services.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how recent opioid, marijuana, and cannabidiol use affects pre-procedure pain-related anxiety for patients seeking abortion. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional anonymous survey of patients seeking abortion assessing recent substance use and anxiety about pain during and after abortion. We compared substance users' and non-users' anxiety scores. RESULTS: Among 217 participants, recent opioid users (5.3%) had higher median anxiety scores for pain during (7.0 vs 6.0; p=0.33) and after (8.0 vs 6.0; p=0.01) abortion than non-opioid users. Anxiety scores were similar for marijuana and cannabidiol users. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing recent opioid use may help guide counseling for anxiety about abortion.

Pilot study of a novel, alternative subdermal scapular insertion site for the etonogestrel contraceptive implant.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the etonogestrel (ENG) contraceptive implant when inserted at an alternative scapular site. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a pilot study of healthy, reproductive-age females who underwent subdermal insertion of an ENG implant over the inferior edge of the nondominant scapula (scapular insertion). We measured serum ENG levels over 1 year at nine time points. Participants completed questionnaires on insertion site and bleeding side effects. We collected photographs and video recordings of insertion and removal techniques. RESULTS: We enrolled five participants (as prespecified), their median age was 26.0 years (range: 19.6-30.3), and median body mass index was 25.0 kg/m2 (range: 22.0-28.0). All serum ENG concentrations remained >90 pg/mL and were within the range of published data for arm insertion of ENG implant at all time points. The mean serum ENG level was 511.7 pg/mL (±168.2) at 1 week and 136.6 pg/mL (±21.8) at 12 months. During the first week after insertion, four of five participants noted insertion site pain with a median pain score of 2 (range 1-3), but all noted resolution by week two. Participants reported variable bleeding patterns consistent with standard ENG implant placement. At the end of the study, all participants reported satisfaction with the implant and would recommend scapular insertion to a friend. CONCLUSIONS: Scapular insertion of the ENG contraceptive implant has similar pharmacokinetics to arm insertion over 1 year of use. This novel, alternative site was well tolerated and demonstrated similar bleeding side effects to standard arm insertion. IMPLICATIONS: Subdermal scapular insertion of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant demonstrated similar pharmacokinetics to arm insertion over 1 year of use. Our pilot data support scapular insertion as an alternative site for ENG contraceptive implants, which could be beneficial for certain patient populations.

Reducing Barriers for Expedited Partner Treatment in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) face significant barriers to screening, testing, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Expedited partner therapy (EPT) streamlines partner treatment of STIs, but use among adolescents is low. We aimed to increase EPT offering and provision at 2 adolescent medicine clinics (AMCs) and the emergency department (ED) in an urban children's hospital. We addressed barriers at provider, pharmacy, and patient levels. We compared EPT offering and provision for chlamydia ( Chlamydia trachomatis [CT]) and trichomonas ( Trichomonas vaginalis [TV]) infection at baseline and across 2 intervention cycles. METHODS: Baseline data were collected from July 2019 to March 2020 and our intervention time frame spanned from April 2020 to October 2021. Laboratory codes identified patients with CT or TV infections. Cycle 1 allowed providers to order EPT within a patient's chart. The second cycle targeted education and standardization for STI/EPT notification and counseling. During this cycle, notification of ED patients was centralized to the AMC nurses. RESULTS: A total of 747 CT and TV cases were identified. In the AMC, EPT offering increased from 77.3% to 87.7% ( P = 0.01). Expedited partner therapy provision increased from 32.3% to 69.9% ( P < 0.001). Expedited partner therapy offering for ED patients increased by 82.3%. Retesting rates remained consistent, with a significant drop in reinfection rates ( P = 0.003) within patients seen in the AMC. CONCLUSIONS: This quality improvement initiative successfully increased EPT offering and provision among the cases identified. Future cycles may include longer-term follow-up to confirm partner treatment and testing per guidelines.

Family medicine physician identification of obstetric lacerations: a US national survey.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We evaluated family medicine obstetric providers' identification and categorization of vaginal delivery lacerations in the USA. We hypothesized that there would be inaccuracy in family medicine physicians' identification of vaginal delivery injuries, similar to our previous studies of midwives and obstetricians (OBs). METHODS: We included clinically active physicians who attended deliveries within 2 years and evaluated their identification and categorization of delivery lacerations using descriptive text and visual images. We asked about their education on this topic and how they document lacerations in the labor and delivery record. RESULTS: We analyzed 250 completed responses (70% of opened surveys). Fifty-five percent of respondents characterized their obstetric laceration training as "good" or "excellent" and half previously had education on obstetric lacerations. The median accuracy overall for the classification and identification of perineal lacerations was 78% (IQR 56-91%). Respondents frequently mischaracterized nonperineal lacerations. Few respondents (36%) reported using the third-degree injury subclassification system. In adjusted analysis, the highest scoring respondents were board certified in family medicine, with fewer years in practice, and a higher obstetric volume. CONCLUSIONS: Obstetric laceration diagnoses may be inaccurate, which could influence perinatal quality and patient outcomes. We found gaps in knowledge similar to previous reports on midwives and obstetricians in the USA. These data suggest a need for increased education and training on obstetric injuries, perhaps especially for physicians with less obstetric activity. Improved categorization and identification of vaginal delivery trauma can impact management and improve women's postpartum care and long-term pelvic floor outcomes.

Effects of aromatherapy on patient satisfaction with procedural abortion at less than 10 weeks' gestation: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare satisfaction with procedural abortion prior to 10 weeks' gestation in patients randomized to lavender essential oil aromatherapy vs placebo (jojoba oil). STUDY DESIGN: This randomized trial compared lavender aromatherapy vs placebo in patients undergoing procedural abortion <10 weeks' gestation. Participants self-administered and inhaled oil during their procedures. Our primary outcome was composite mean score on the Iowa Satisfaction with Anesthesia Scale. Participants completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a visual analog scale reporting maximum procedural pain, and reported postprocedure aromatherapy acceptability. RESULTS: We analyzed 112 participants randomized to aromatherapy (n = 57) vs placebo (n = 55). Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. We found no difference in overall satisfaction (mean Iowa Satisfaction with Anesthesia Scale scores aromatherapy: 0.72 ± 0.96 vs placebo: 0.46 ± 0.98, p = 0.17) or maximum procedural pain (median visual analog scale score aromatherapy: 65 [range: 4-95] vs placebo: 63 [range: 7-97], p = 0.91). Independent predictors of satisfaction included the use of oral sedation (B: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.04-0.69), state anxiety (B: -0.45; 95% CI: -0.79 to -0.10), and maximum procedural pain (B: -0.17; 95% CI: -0.25 to -0.09). The aromatherapy participants were significantly more likely to have found inhaling scented oil helpful during their procedure (71.9% vs 45.5%; p = 0.005) and would recommend it to a friend who needed a procedural abortion (86.0% vs 56.4%; p = 0.0005) compared to those in the placebo group. Additionally, patients in the aromatherapy group were significantly more likely to agree with the statement, "If I need another procedural abortion, I would want to inhale scented oil during my procedure" (87.7% vs 70.9%; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The adjunctive use of lavender aromatherapy during first-trimester procedural abortion does not improve satisfaction with anesthesia but is highly valued by patients. IMPLICATIONS: Oral opioids as an adjunct to standard analgesics during procedural abortion (ibuprofen and paracervical block) do not decrease pain, and nonopioid options are lacking. Given current limited anesthesia options, aromatherapy could serve as an affordable and acceptable nonopioid adjunct to current standard of care during procedural abortion. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04969900.

An exploratory study on the possible association of serum etonogestrel concentrations with mood concerns and symptoms among contraceptive implant users.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if inter-individual variability in serum etonogestrel (ENG) concentrations accounts for variability in mood-related side effects among ENG implant users. STUDY DESIGN: Participants underwent a single-time blood draw for measurement of serum ENG concentrations using a liquid-chromatography mass-spectrometry assay, and completed a questionnaire at enrollment that retrospectively assessed mood-related side effects during the period of implant use. For a subset of participants, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores, obtained for other clinical purposes, were also compared. We used independent medians tests and linear regression to evaluate associations between mood symptoms and serum ENG concentrations as our primary outcome. RESULTS: Among 900 enrolled participants, 34% (306/900) reported mood changes on the baseline questionnaire. Of these, 31 (3.4%) participants also had documented PHQ-9 scores. Serum ENG concentrations (median 126.9 pg/mL [range 39.4-695.1]) were not associated with reported mood changes on the questionnaire (p = 0.19) or on the PHQ-9 (ß = 0.00, 95% CI -0.03, 0.03). CONCLUSION: Pharmacokinetic variability does not explain the inter-individual variability in mood-related side effects among ENG implant users. IMPLICATIONS: Mood-related side effects and altered mental health metrics are commonly reported by etonogestrel contraceptive implant users but demonstrate wide inter-individual variability. Individual differences in serum drug levels do not appear to account for this variability in mood-related side effects, and so future research should focus on novel personal factors.

Herbal Supplement Use Among Adolescent and Young Adult Women in a Family Planning Clinic.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate herbal medicine and supplement use patterns among adolescent and young adult women at a clinic focused on family planning. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients (age 14-25) at an adolescent Title X clinic. Participants completed an electronic survey that assessed herbal medicine and supplement use, baseline demographic characteristics, and current contraceptive method. We evaluated supplement-drug interactions using the Natural Medicines database Interaction Checker. Quantitative analyses were performed using χ2 and independent medians tests. RESULTS: We enrolled 99 participants with a median age of 20 (15-24) years. Overall, 42.4% of patients reported ever having used supplements or herbal medicines, with 29.9% of patients reporting current supplement or herbal medicine use. Patients with higher education and private insurance were more likely to report a history of and current supplement use (P < .05). The most common herbal supplements reported were green tea (n = 26), cannabidiol (n = 17), and cranberry (n = 16), with 29.6% of participants reporting use to their general health care provider. The most common reasons for use were general health and wellness (29.1%), immune support (23.2%), stress (16.8%), and menstrual irregularities (6.0%). We found 62 moderate risk supplement-drug interactions, with 50 interactions attributed to hormonal contraceptive therapies. The most common interactions were via cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP3A4 or CYP1A2) inhibition, decreased caffeine clearance, and potential hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSION: Adolescent and young adult women frequently reported past and current herbal medicine and supplement use, with high rates of moderate-risk supplement-drug interactions. Further research is needed to better elucidate these clinically relevant supplement-contraception interactions.

Development of a clinical questionnaire to support contraception decisions in an adolescent reproductive health clinic in Colorado.

CONTEXT: Adolescents need support to make informed decisions about contraception. Few clinical questionnaires exist to help adolescents and their healthcare providers align contraception decisions with patient needs and preferences. METHODS: Our mixed-methods study involved a convenience sample of English-speaking, female patients aged 13-19 seeking contraception services at an adolescent reproductive health clinic in Colorado, USA. Qualitative interviews informed development of clinical questionnaire items. The questionnaire elicited demographic characteristics, pregnancy and contraception use history, preferred contraception attributes, peer and family involvement, healthcare information and support needs, motivations for contraceptive use, and barriers to contraceptive services. We identified key decision-making factors and reduced the number of questionnaire items through principal components analysis. Using multivariable analyses, we examined the correlation between questionnaire responses and current contraceptive method. RESULTS: Twenty individuals participated in interviews and 373 individuals completed the preliminary questionnaire with 63 candidate items. We identified five contraceptive decision-making factors: side-effect avoidance (eight items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.84), preferred method attributes (six items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.67), parental involvement (three items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.67), life goals prior to parenting (four items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.88), and access to a contraceptive provider (two items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and nine stand-alone items. In multivariable analyses, we found that questionnaire responses for decision-making factors varied among participants using different contraceptive methods. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple priorities may influence adolescent contraceptive decisions. This clinical questionnaire can elicit these priorities before or during a healthcare encounter. Future studies should assess generalizability of the questionnaire and examine impact on method choice, continuation, satisfaction, and reproductive health outcomes.

The Effect of Hormonal Contraception Use on Ovarian Reserve Markers and the Uptake of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Individuals Seeking an Infertility Evaluation.

Background and objective The effects of hormonal contraception (HC) use on ovarian reserve (OR) markers in individuals seeking an infertility evaluation and the success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) warrant further investigation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if women seeking an evaluation for unexplained infertility who used long-term (≥2 years) HC have lower ovarian reserve (OR) markers and higher uptake of ART compared to short-term (<2 years) or never HC users. Methods We performed a cross-sectional patient survey involving a retrospective medical chart review of patients seeking an evaluation for unexplained infertility at the University of Colorado Advanced Reproductive Medicine (CU ARM) clinic. Results Most participants (87%; 107/123) reported a history of HC use with 98 (79.7%) reporting long-term continuous use for two or more years. Median OR markers were similar between long-term and short-term/never HC users [anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH): 2.4 vs. 3.2, p=0.20; antral follicle count (AFC): 18 vs. 26, p=0.10; follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): 7.6 vs. 6.3, p=0.26] and remained so after adjusting for age and diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in linear regression models. However, among HC users aged less than 30 years (n=9), those who had discontinued HC between two and three years prior to the assessment of their OR markers had a 6.20 ng/mL increase in AMH level compared to those who had discontinued HC less than two years prior to the assessment (p=0.02). Additionally, there was a marginally increased use of ART overall among long-term HC users compared to short-term/never HC users (64.3% vs. 44.0%, p=0.06), specifically in the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) (58.7% vs. 18.2%, p=0.01). Among long-term HC users, ovulation induction was less likely to result in live birth compared to short-term/never HC users (8.9% vs. 62.5%, p<0.001); however, after adjusting for age, PCOS, POI, and type of ART used, there was no difference in the odds of live birth after ART between long-term HC users and short-term/never users. Conclusion While long-term HC users report increased use of ART, in particular IVF, the overall conception rates and live birth outcomes among ART users do not appear to be significantly affected by a history of long-term HC use.

Interconception Care for Adolescent Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Interconception care (ICC) is a means of improving health outcomes for women and children by mitigating maternal risks between pregnancies. Within a pediatric medical home ICC is reliant on adherence to well-child visits (WCVs). We hypothesized that a pediatric-based ICC model would remain successful in providing access to services for adolescent women for those seen during the COVID19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine if the COVID19 pandemic influenced LARC use and repeat pregnancy for those seen for ICC in a dyadic pediatric medical home. METHODS: The pre-COVID cohort was comprised of adolescent women seen for ICC from September 2018-October 2019. The COVID cohort was comprised of adolescent women seen for ICC from March 2020-March 2021. The two cohorts were compared across multiple characteristics including sociodemographic factors, age, education, number of visits, contraceptive choice and repeat pregnancy during the study interval. RESULTS: The COVID cohort were significantly more likely to be primiparous, seen with a younger infant, and attend fewer visits than the pre-COVID cohort. The COVID cohort were equally likely to initiate long-acting reversible contraception but less likely to experience a repeat pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID19 pandemic limited access to routine healthcare and likely impacted access to ICC for many women. ICC provided during WCVs allowed access to care even amid the restrictions of the COVID19 pandemic. Both effective contraception and decreased repeat pregnancy were maintained, highlighting the effectiveness of this approach for ICC within a dyadic pediatric medical home.

Validation of 24-hour trough concentration as a proxy for intensive pharmacokinetic measurements for a combined oral contraceptive pill containing desogestrel.

OBJECTIVES: To confirm that 24-hour steady-state trough measurements (C24) are high-quality proxies for gold standard pharmacokinetic measurements (area under the curve [AUC]) of a combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a 12-sample, 24-hour pharmacokinetic study in healthy reproductive-age females taking a COCP containing 0.15-mg desogestrel (DSG) and 30-µg ethinyl estradiol (EE). As DSG is a pro-drug for etonogestrel (ENG), we calculated correlations between steady-state C24 and 24-hour AUC values for both ENG and EE. RESULTS: Among 19 participants at steady state, C24 measurements were highly correlated with AUC for both ENG (r = 0.93; 95% CI 0.83-0.98) and EE (r = 0.87; 95% CI 0.68-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Steady-state 24-hour trough concentrations are high-quality proxies for gold standard pharmacokinetics of a DSG-containing COCP. IMPLICATIONS: Use of single-time trough concentration measurements at steady state provides excellent surrogate results for gold standard AUC values for both DSG and EE among COCP users. These findings support that large studies exploring interindividual variability in COCP pharmacokinetics can avoid the time- and resource-intensive costs associated with measuring AUC. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05002738.

Informing Use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 to Detect Moderate or Greater Depression Symptoms in Adolescents and Young Adults in Outpatient Primary Care.

OBJECTIVE: We compared the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-2 to the PHQ-9 and examined the implications of using various cutoff scores on the PHQ-2 to detect moderate or greater depressive symptoms on the PHQ-9. We hypothesized that a cutoff score of ≥2 would be optimal for detecting scores of ≥10 on the PHQ-9. METHODS: Demographic and depression screening data from 3,256 routine preventive visits for patients aged 12-25 years at the adolescent and young adult clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado between March 2017 and July 2019 were collected retrospectively. Patients completed routine depression screening at 2,183 visits which were included for analysis. PHQ-2 scores and PHQ-9 scores were calculated for each included patient visit. Associations between different PHQ-2 cutoff scores and moderate or greater depressive symptoms on the PHQ-9 (≥10) were evaluated. RESULTS: A PHQ-2 score ≥2 had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 83% for detecting patients with moderate or greater depressive symptoms on the PHQ-9. On a receiver operating characteristic curve, a PHQ-2 cutoff of ≥2 optimized sensitivity and specificity. Analysis of gender and ethnic/racial subgroups demonstrated the same optimal cutoff score for each group studied. For patients aged 21 years and older a PHQ-2 cutoff of ≥3 was most accurate. DISCUSSION: Lowering the positive PHQ-2 cutoff to ≥2 has several clinical advantages, including increased detection of moderate or greater depressive symptoms and depressive disorders. Providers may increase identification of depression by making this change particularly if they follow a positive PHQ-2 with a full PHQ-9.

The impact of adjuvant antihormonal therapy versus observation on recurrence of borderline ovarian tumors: A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Adjuvant management of borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) after surgical diagnosis and staging is not standardized. While many patients undergo observation alone, some providers have introduced the use of adjuvant antihormonal therapy for BOT, extrapolating from studies suggesting improvement in progression-free survival in the low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma population. We hypothesized that adjuvant antihormonal therapy after surgical diagnosis of BOT would improve progression-free survival compared to surveillance alone. Methods: This is a retrospective review of BOT at one academic institution over thirteen years comparing management with antihormonal therapy, including aromatase inhibitors, progestins, and selective estrogen receptor modulators, to surveillance alone. Patients with concurrent malignancy were excluded. Data were abstracted from electronic medical records. Groups were compared by bivariate statistics. Results: We identified 193 patients with BOT. Of these, 17 (8.8%) were treated with adjuvant antihormonal therapy and 24 (12.4%) recurred. Patients treated with antihormonal therapy were more likely to be obese (64.7% vs 37.9%, p = 0.032), have advanced-stage disease (70.6% vs 11.4%, p < 0.001), serous histotype (94.1% vs 59.4%, p = 0.005) or microinvasion (29.4% vs 9.7%, p = 0.030), and less likely to have undergone fertility-sparing surgery (18.8% vs 51.7%, p = 0.012). Use of antihormonal therapy was not associated with a difference in recurrence or survival. Conclusions: This study is the first retrospective cohort review of adjuvant antihormonal therapy in BOT. We found that adjuvant antihormonal therapy for BOT is not associated with recurrence. While this single institution retrospective cohort study may lack the power to confirm or refute benefit, further studies could evaluate whether a subpopulation exists in whom antihormonal therapy is worthwhile.

Patient perspectives of telehealth for fertility care: a national survey.

PURPOSE: To evaluate patient satisfaction using telehealth for fertility care. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey using the validated telehealth usability questionnaire (TUQ) distributed nationally via fertility advocacy groups of fertility patients aged ≥ 18 years with self-reported use of telehealth for care. Patient satisfaction of telehealth for fertility care as determined by the TUQ questionnaire. The survey also included questions about telehealth related to usefulness, ease of use, effectiveness, reliability, and the option for patients to add open-ended comments related to their experiences using telehealth for fertility care. RESULTS: A total of 81 fertility patients completed the survey. Patients reported high rates of satisfaction (81.4%) with telehealth in areas of usefulness, ease of use, effectiveness, reliability, and satisfaction. However, many patients (60.5%) expressed a preference for in-person visits for their initial visit while the acceptability of telehealth increased for follow-up visits. Negative themes from respondent comments address that telehealth visits felt more impersonal and rushed. CONCLUSION: Fertility patients reported high satisfaction using telehealth for care. Patients still preferred in-person visits for initial consultations. For follow-up visits, most respondents favored telehealth or had no preference. Incorporation of telehealth in fertility practices should continue though it may be helpful for patients to be given options for visit types.

Negative Perceptions and Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Choice in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) have high rates of safety, satisfaction, and continuation in adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Despite this, utilization of these methods by AYAs is low. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the negative personal perceptions or beliefs about birth control and LARCs and their association with contraceptive use in AYAs. METHODS: We surveyed young people (14-24 years old) seeking care at a Title X-supported adolescent reproductive and sexual health clinic to assess negative perceptions of birth control methods, with an emphasis on LARCs. We used appropriate bivariate statistics to compare those endorsing 3 or fewer negative perceptions with those who had more than 3 and logistic regression to identify predictors of contraceptive choice. RESULTS: We recruited 345 participants; 337 (97.7%) completed the survey. Among respondents, the median age was 20 (range 14-24) years, and 7.04% of participants had ever been pregnant. The most commonly held negative perceptions were fear of device migration or breakage causing adverse health effects and concern about effect on future fertility. The number of negative perceptions endorsed did not differ significantly by age. However, a greater number of negative perceptions and younger age were clinical predictors of LARC nonuse. CONCLUSION: AYAs have negative perceptions about LARCs that are often inaccurate and may limit contraceptive acceptability and perceived options. Engaged and respectful dialogue with AYAs about their concerns and fears is essential to provide accurate and patient-centered contraceptive counseling and to ensure that young people can make informed contraceptive choices.

The effect of rifampin on serum etonogestrel concentrations and biomarkers of ovulation among contraceptive implant users: A pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study.

OBJECTIVES: Rifampin, a strong CYP3A inducer, is the gold standard for evaluating CYP3A-mediated drug-drug interactions. We aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of a short course (2 weeks) of rifampin on serum etonogestrel (ENG) concentrations and serologic measures of ovarian activity (endogenous estradiol [E2] and progesterone [P4]) among ENG implant users. STUDY DESIGN: We enrolled healthy females using ENG implants for 12 to 36 months. We measured baseline serum ENG concentrations using a validated liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry assay and baseline E2 and P4 concentrations using chemiluminescent immunoassays. After 2 weeks of rifampin 600 mg daily, we repeated ENG, E2, and P4 measurements. We compared pre- and post-rifampin serum measurements using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS: Fifteen participants completed all study procedures. Participants' median age was 28.2 years (range 21.8-34.1), median body-mass index was 25.2 kg/m2 (range 18.9-37.3), and median duration of implant use was 22 months (range 12-32). All participants experienced significant decreases from baseline ENG concentrations (median 164.0 pg/mL [range 94.4-265.0]) to post-rifampin measurements (median 47.8 pg/mL [range 24.7-82.8]) (p < 0.001). Serum E2 concentrations also significantly increased with rifampin exposure (median 73 pg/mL vs 202 pg/mL, p = 0.003); increases in serum P4 concentrations were not statistically significant (p = 0.19). Three participants (20%) experienced increased luteal activity, with one presumptively ovulating post-rifampin (P4 = 15.8 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: With only short exposure to a strong CYP3A inducer, ENG implant users experienced clinically significant decreases in serum ENG concentrations that led to changes in biomarkers indicative of waning suppression of ovulation. IMPLICATIONS: Even a short, 2-week course of treatment with rifampin places etonogestrel contraceptive implant users at risk for decreased contraceptive efficacy. Clinicians should counsel patients using etonogestrel implants considering any duration of rifampin therapy on the need for backup nonhormonal contraception or the use of an intrauterine device to avoid unintended pregnancies.

Herbal supplement use among reproductive-aged women in an academic infertility practice.

Objective: To address the knowledge gap surrounding herbal medicine and supplement usage patterns and supplement-prescription medication interactions among patients seeking treatment for infertility. Design: Cross-sectional survey study. Setting: Academic infertility practice. Patients: Ninety-five reproductive-aged patients. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Use of herbal medications and supplements, baseline demographics, history of infertility treatments, and potential supplement-medication interactions. Results: We surveyed 95 participants with a median age of 35 years. Overall, 68.4% of patients reported ever having used supplements or herbal medicines in the past. Current use of herbal supplements and vitamins was reported by 53.7% and 93.7% of participants, respectively, with a median of 2 (range 19) supplements used per person. There were no significant associations between patient demographics, comorbidities, or infertility treatments with increased rates of supplement use. The most commonly used herbal supplements were: green tea (n = 14), chamomile (n = 12), peppermint (n = 9), turmeric (n = 8), elderberry (n = 7), ginger (n = 7), maca (6) with the most common modalities being pills/capsules (23.8%) and tea (42.3%). The most common reasons for use were: general health and wellness (24.5%), immune support (16.2%), stress (14.0%), and fertility (15.0%). Patients used maca (n = 5), chasteberry (n = 3), goji berry (n = 2), ginger (n = 2), yam-based progesterone (n = 2), and combination product (n = 2) for fertility purposes. A total of 7.9% of patients learned about these products from their general health care provider, and 33.3% of supplements were disclosed by patients to their provider. We identified 41 moderate-risk supplement-drug interactions, with 12 of these interactions attributed to infertility therapies. Based on the interaction checker, the most commonly proposed mechanisms of interaction were CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 inhibition. In terms of safety in pregnancy, cannabidiol and chasteberry were suggested to be "possibly unsafe in pregnancy," and red raspberry leaf "likely unsafe in pregnancy" without direct medical supervision. Conclusions: We found over two thirds of women seeking treatment for infertility reported past and over half reported current herbal medicine and supplement use. Notably, the Natural Medicines Interaction Checker suggested high rates of moderate-risk supplement-drug interactions and possible harmful effects in early pregnancy. Our results call for further investigation of clinically relevant supplement interactions with infertility therapies.

Telemedicine to improve reproductive health care for rural Coloradans: Perceptions of interest and access.

PURPOSE: To evaluate rural Colorado women's access to and preferences for receiving reproductive health care services. METHODS: We conducted an online survey of women ages 18-45 years old. We mailed recruitment postcards to a random sample of female, registered voters in rural Colorado zip codes. Survey questions assessed experiences, beliefs, and preferences regarding reproductive health care. We performed bivariate statistics and logistic regression for predictors of interest in telemedicine. FINDINGS: Respondents (n = 478) had a median age of 34 years (range 18-45). Most women identified as White (90.2%) and were insured (67.1% private; 20.5% public). Most (74.1%) noted barriers to obtaining reproductive care in their communities. Those who reported barriers cited a median of 3 barriers (range 1-8), most commonly too few community-based providers (81.4%) and long distance to care (69.5%). Among respondents, 51.0% had used telemedicine before and 52.5% were interested in using telemedicine for reproductive health services. Interest in telemedicine significantly differed by perceived difficulty accessing care, previous telemedicine use, traveling over 100 miles for medical care in the last year, and belief in the safety of abortion. Those interested in telemedicine were less likely to value having an established relationship with providers and face-to-face visits. CONCLUSIONS: Most reproductive-aged, rural Colorado women endorsed barriers to obtaining reproductive health care in their communities. Over half of rural women are interested in using telemedicine for reproductive health care; however, many are not. Both optimizing telemedicine and developing additional innovative solutions are needed to improve access to reproductive care in rural communities.