Patterns of contraception choice among Hispanic and non-Hispanic female adolescents.

BACKGROUND: This study examines contraception choices among Hispanic and non-Hispanic girls, to determine if there are differences when the barrier of cost is removed by facilitating enrollment in a Title X Family Planning Program. METHODS: Charts of adolescent females aged 13-19 years, seen for the first time at a university hospital clinic from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007, were reviewed. Access to contraception was facilitated by enrollment in the Title X Family Planning Program. Patients were categorized as public insurance if they had Medicaid or Child/Family Health Plus or chose to enroll in the Title X program. RESULTS: Among the 666 eligible patients, 27% were Hispanic, with a mean age of 14.9 years. At least 20% had used one form of contraception before their first clinic visit. About one-third of the youth were enrolled in the Title X Family Planning Program, with no statistical difference between Hispanic and non-Hispanic youth. Three hundred and ninety subjects (58%) chose contraception during their visit. Hispanic subjects, who represented 32% of the group, were more likely to choose condoms and oral contraceptive pills compared to non-Hispanic subjects. The privately insured adolescents chose condoms less often than the publicly insured adolescents, and this was true regardless of ethnicity. CONCLUSION: There are significant differences in contraception choices between Hispanic and non-Hispanic youth. The Title X Family Planning Program allowed young women to make independent choices. Adolescents may benefit from further improvements in culturally sensitive family planning programs.

Long-acting reversible contraception and condom use: A cohort study of female adolescents and young adults in New York City.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine whether condom use varied between adolescents and young women using long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) vs non-LARC hormonal methods and assess if the initiation of LARC was associated with lower condom use. STUDY DESIGN: This study used data from a large longitudinal study of sexually active females aged 13-25 years. Questionnaires assessed contraception, condom use, sexual history, and partner characteristics at the baseline visit and every 6 months. Log-binomial regression analyses examined associations between hormonal contraceptive methods and condom use, and the moderating effects of age and number of sexual partners. Exploratory analyses compared condom use based on partner characteristics. RESULTS: Of 1512 participants, 1116 reported LARC or non-LARC hormonal method use during any study visit. Among baseline and new LARC users, 75.7% and 84.7% reported intrauterine device (IUD) use, respectively. Condom use at baseline among hormonal non-LARC users (37.5%) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than LARC users (23.5%). Condom use among LARC vs non-LARC users was moderated by age in that LARC was associated with lower condom use among participants aged 13-18 years, but not those aged 19-25 years. Number of sexual partners was not a significant moderator. Among participants with increased sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk based on partner characteristics, LARC users had lower condom use compared to non-LARC users. CONCLUSIONS: Condom discontinuation was common following initiation of LARC and hormonal non-LARC methods. However, condom use was lower in LARC users at baseline, among younger adolescents, and if partners had risk factors for STIs. IMPLICATIONS: Condom discontinuation following initiation of highly effective contraception increases the risk of STI. Young women using LARC may be at greater risk than non-LARC users given lower condom use despite having partners with risk factors for STIs. Condom use counseling for STI protection is critical for adolescents.

Options for Teens with No Options: A Self-Managed Second Trimester Abortion.

BACKGROUND: Several states have deemed abortions as nonessential services, effectively calling for a halt to abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, women might elect for self-managed abortions by obtaining abortion medications online. CASE: A 15-year-old girl presented with abdominal cramping and vaginal discharge after taking misoprostol obtained from an online retailer for a self-managed abortion in her second trimester during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her exam showed products of conception protruding from the vagina. The patient was emergently evaluated for an incomplete and possible septic abortion and underwent a dilation and evacuation procedure.

Using School-Based Health Programs to Prevent Human Trafficking: The Mount Sinai Experience.

This article describes how school-based health centers can serve as human trafficking prevention sites. Setting: School-based health centers are available to all students attending a school and are often located in schools whose students have risk factors associated with human trafficking: those with a history of running away from home; unstable housing or homelessness; a history of childhood maltreatment or substance use; LGBTQ-identification; physical or developmental disabilities, including students who have Individualized Education Programs and need special education; gang involvement; and/or a history of involvement in child welfare or the juvenile justice system. The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center provides a model of the types of service school clinics can offer, including integrated medical, sexual, and reproductive health, health education, and behavioral and mental health. Activities: Identifying young people with risk factors and addressing those factors in our clinics in a timely way can disrupt the progression to human trafficking. In addition, if young people who are trafficked are attending schools that have a clinic, their health needs, such as care for sexually transmitted infections and mental health issues, can be addressed on-site. Lastly, some people go to school to recruit students for human trafficking. By raising awareness and addressing human trafficking in the school, students can become aware of this issue and perhaps gain the ability to ask for help if they are approached or know of other students being recruited by a trafficker. Implications: The location of easily-accessible, adolescent-friendly, trafficking-aware services in schools can prevent, identify and intervene in human trafficking.

Provision of contraceptive implants in school-based health centers: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of providing contraceptive implants in school-based health centers (SBHCs) compared to the practice of referring adolescents to non-SBHCs in New York City. STUDY DESIGN: We developed a microsimulation model of teen pregnancy to estimate the cost-effectiveness of immediate provision of contraceptive implants at SBHCs over a 3-year time horizon. Model parameters were derived from both a retrospective chart review of patient data and published literature. The model projected the number of pregnancies as well as the total costs for each intervention scenario. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated using the public payer perspective, using direct costs only. RESULTS: The health care cost of immediate provision of contraceptive implants at SBHCs was projected to be $13,719 per person compared to $13,567 per person for delayed provision at the referral appointment over 3 years. However, immediate provision would prevent 78 more pregnancies per 1000 adolescents over 3 years. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for implementing in-school provision was $1940 per additional pregnancy prevented, which was less than the $4206.41 willingness-to-pay threshold. Sensitivity analyses showed that the cost-effectiveness conclusion was robust over a wide range of key model inputs. CONCLUSION: Provision of contraceptive implants in SBHCs compared to non-SBHCs is cost-effective for preventing unintended teen pregnancy. Health care providers and policymakers should consider expanding this model of patient-centered health care delivery to other locations.

Featured counter trafficking program: Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.

This invited article is one of several comprising part of a special issue of Child Abuse and Neglect focused on child trafficking and health. The purpose of each invited article is to describe a specific program serving trafficked children. Featuring these programs is intended to raise awareness of innovative counter-trafficking strategies emerging worldwide and facilitate collaboration on program development and outcomes research. This article describes the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, a US-based health system dedicated to serving adolescents, some of whom are survivors of sex trafficking or at risk for sexual exploitation.

Human Trafficking in Adolescents: Adopting a Youth-centered Approach to Identification and Services.

This article describes core design features of a youth-centered approach to care that 2 organizations-Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and Covenant House New Jersey-use to serve clients in nontraditional primary care settings and subsequently illustrates the ways in which this approach succeeds at identifying and serving youth who have experienced human trafficking. Primary care providers are uniquely positioned to connect adolescent human trafficking survivors to existing protection and treatment resources. The primary care community can adapt these interventions for adolescent patients who have experienced human trafficking and become key personnel on the frontline of recovery and prevention.

Emergency Contraception Use in School-Based Health Centers: A Qualitative Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To understand contraceptive behaviors and decision-making in school-based health center (SBHC) female patients who have used emergency contraception (EC). DESIGN: Qualitative interviews and questionnaires. SETTING: SBHCs. PARTICIPANTS: Female adolescents, who self-reported EC use, were recruited from SBHCs. INTERVENTIONS: Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached on the following themes: reasons for selecting EC, perceived EC efficacy, reasons for use, nonuse, or inconsistent use of nonemergent contraception (NEC), and beliefs surrounding pregnancy risk. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The team used a modified grounded theory approach and open coding technique to identify common themes. Participants completed a questionnaire to assess demographic information and EC knowledge. RESULTS: Twenty-eight interviews were completed. Reasons for using EC include not using another contraceptive method, using another method incorrectly, or in combination with another method for added protection. Reasons for EC preference include ease of administration, ease of access, minimal side effects, perceived high efficacy, and because it can be used discreetly. Use of NEC was supported by identifying it as more effective, increased sexual experience and anticipation of sex, belief that excess EC decreases efficacy or is detrimental to health, and social interactions. Participants reported having used EC a mean of 3.5 times. Eighteen of 28 participants (65%) incorrectly believed that EC is 90%-99% effective, and 15 of 28 participants (53%) correctly identified ovulation inhibition as the mechanism of action. CONCLUSION: EC use is promoted by ease of access and administration, experiencing minimal side effects, and perceived high efficacy. Compliance issues with NEC and condoms and a desire for a discreet contraceptive method support EC use.

Applying a Global Perspective to School-Based Health Centers in New York City.

BACKGROUND: Since the 1960s, school-based health centers (SBHC) in the United States have emerged and grown with the mission of providing primary medical, reproductive, and mental health services, as well as comprehensive health education, to all students who are enrolled in the participating school. SBHCs have demonstrated a unique ability to reduce barriers to medical care for underserved populations in New York City, including undocumented immigrants and those who are of lower income status. METHODS: The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center School-Based Health Program (MSAHC SBHP) was established in 1985 in order to increase access to care for New York City teens. After a change of physical location, one particular site of the MSAHC SBHP had a significant decrease in clinic visits and enrollment. Traditional outreach strategies were utilized, but the results of the efforts were disappointing. Applying the Community Health Worker model, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the MSAHC SBHP developed the Student Ambassador Program, a student-organized community-engagement initiative. The program is based on the premise that youth can be effective at outreach and serving as community liaisons to increase awareness and use of the SBHC. The SBH staff provided recruitment, training, and support. The student ambassadors initiated peer-informed outreach projects to appeal to the student body. Upon completion of the Student Ambassador projects, clinic enrollment increased 4.3% and visits increased 32% over the prior year. CONCLUSIONS: School-based health centers in the United States have helped to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to many children who would otherwise not be able to access care, but community engagement is critical to their success. Applying the WHO Community Health Worker Model to utilize school students for outreach to their school community is an effective way to increase utilization.

Resolution of vital sign instability: an objective measure of medical stability in anorexia nervosa.

PURPOSE: To determine the amount of time necessary for stabilization of blood pressure and heart rate in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and the percentage of ideal body weight (IBW) at which this occurs. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 36 adolescent patients (33 F, 3 M) with AN, restricting type (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition [DSM-IV] criteria), admitted to a specialized eating disorders unit for nutritional rehabilitation between October 1996 and August 1998. Mean age was 16.5 +/- 2.5 years, range 12-23 years. Each morning, pulse and blood pressure were measured supine and after standing for 2 minutes using an automated blood pressure/pulse measuring device (Dynamap). Orthostasis was defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure > 20 mm Hg with or without a drop in diastolic blood pressure > 10 mm Hg or an increase in heart rate >20 bpm on standing. Time of resolution of orthostasis was defined as the day after which the patient was no longer orthostatic for 48 hours. RESULTS: On admission mean pulse rate was 54.4 +/- 14.8 bpm (range 38-78) and mean pulse rate slowly increased to 70 bpm by Day 12 of hospitalization. On admission, 60% of patients had orthostatic pulse changes and with refeeding, this number increased to 85% by Day 4 of admission. The mean number of days until patients were no longer orthostatic was 21.6 +/- 11.1 days and resolution of orthostasis occurred when subjects reached 80.1 +/- 5.7% of IBW. Orthostatic pulse changes were more sensitive indicators of hemodynamic instability than orthostatic blood pressure changes and took longer to resolve. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that of patients with AN, the majority have orthostatic pulse changes on admission. Normalization of orthostatic pulse changes was achieved after approximately 3 weeks of nutritional rehabilitation when subjects reached 80% of their IBW. Resolution of orthostasis can be used as one of the objective measures to determine medical stability and readiness for discharge to an alternate level of care.