Development and evaluation of measures to assess self-determination in peripartum contraceptive decision-making.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to adapt and validate person-centered measures to evaluate various contributors to self-determination in perinatal contraceptive decision-making. STUDY DESIGN: We developed and administered four scales adapted from existing measures in the context of Self-Determination Theory: the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), Perceived Competence Scale, modified Health Care Climate Questionnaire, and Important Other Climate Questionnaire. The TSRQ consists of three subscales: autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation. We recruited a nonprobability convenience sample of 300 hospitalized postpartum patients in Baltimore, MD, between 2015 and 2016 and administered surveys in English and Spanish. We validated the scales with Cronbach's alpha coefficients, confirmatory factor analysis, and invariance analysis. We examined construct validity by testing correlations between the scales and other person-centered measures, such as satisfaction with counseling. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha was >0.8 except for the amotivation subscale. Confirmatory factor analysis was adequate for all scales. Autonomous motivation correlated positively and significantly with perceived competence, health care provider autonomy support, important other autonomy support, and other measures of patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: We found the four scales to be internally consistent and valid except for the amotivation subscale. We recommend using the autonomous motivation subscale in place of the full TSRQ. The autonomous motivation subscale, Perceived Competence Scale, modified Health Care Climate Questionnaire, and Important Other Climate Questionnaire showed adequate internal consistency, construct validity, and adherence to the expected conceptual structure of the scales. IMPLICATIONS: Autonomous decision-making is central to ethics and quality of care, especially for contraceptive methods that require a provider for initiation or discontinuation and at more vulnerable times, such as postpartum and postabortion. These scales may help tailor person-centered and autonomy-supportive interventions and programs to improve contraceptive counseling and care delivery.

Patient perceptions of immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore perceptions and experiences of immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) counseling and decision-making, with a focus on reproductive autonomy. We aimed to assess the potential for reproductive coercion. STUDY DESIGN: This was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with Spanish and English speaking women who received an intrauterine device or contraceptive subdermal implant immediately postpartum. They were recruited before discharge from two hospitals in Baltimore, MD. We analyzed interviews using directed content analysis. RESULTS: We interviewed a diverse group of 17 women. Participants praised the convenience of LARC and the ease of immediate postpartum placement. Some women reported feeling pushed by providers during counseling and were critical of their experiences. Women expressed a desire for comprehensive, objective information early and often during antepartum contraceptive counseling, and some valued counseling from multiple providers. They wanted autonomy in their contraceptive decision-making and described making internally motivated decisions based on their life goals and individual priorities. CONCLUSIONS: Some women felt pressured to choose immediate postpartum LARC, while others expressed enthusiasm for immediate postpartum LARC. Our data suggest that providers should start contraceptive counseling early in prenatal care and readdress it at multiple visits. Patients may benefit from speaking with multiple providers. IMPLICATIONS: Our study supports immediate postpartum LARC as a favorable contraceptive option for some women when discussed during prenatal care. Providers should take care to avoid coercion during counseling and focus on delivering comprehensive, objective information about all contraceptive methods, including side effects and removal options.

Incidence of Discontinuation of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception among Adolescent and Young Adult Women Served by an Urban Primary Care Clinic.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) discontinuation rates. Secondary aims were to determine risk factors for discontinuation, describe reasons for discontinuation, evaluate complications related to placement, and estimate pregnancy rates after discontinuation. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of LARC method use through review of electronic medical record data. SETTING: Our program is housed in an academic primary care pediatric and adolescent clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty women ages 12-24 years who received an intrauterine device or subdermal implant through our program between December 10, 2012 and December 10, 2015. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Complications from LARC insertion, device discontinuation, reason(s) for discontinuation, pregnancies resulting from device failure, and occurrence of pregnancy within 1 year of discontinuation. RESULTS: Thirty-five women discontinued their LARC method. The 6-month discontinuation rate was 11.3% and the 12-month rate was 21.9%. Discontinuation was associated with history of sexually transmitted infection (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.49-6.90). The most common reason for discontinuation was bleeding for the implant and expulsion for the intrauterine device. CONCLUSION: Our results support the safety and low discontinuation rates of LARC provision to adolescents and young adult women in a primary care setting. Discontinuation rates and reasons are consistent with those described in other studies.