Adolescent Girls with Negative Pregnancy Tests

Abstract

Study Objectives and Design This descriptive study assessed background characteristics and attitudes about pregnancy held by adolescent girls presenting for pregnancy tests and receiving negative results. An additional aim was to determine types of health care services that would be of perceived benefit to them to reduce their risk of subsequent pregnancy. Setting Two health care sites in an urban community included a hospital-based adolescent clinic and a hospital-based women's health care clinic. Participants Sixty-five adolescent, low-income, single women with negative pregnancy test results in a consecutive sample were included in the study. Participants had a mean age of 16.9 (±1.3) years and described themselves as 64.1% African American, 26.6% Latina and 9.4% white, with 81.5% enrolled or recently graduated from high school. Main Outcome Measures The following variables were included: demographic characteristics, reproductive health history, personal and perceived partner attitude about the negative pregnancy test result, perceived parental influences, and teens' suggestions for health care services to prevent unintended pregnancy. Results Health history data revealed high risk status for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI); 28.5% of participants were ambivalent or disappointed with their negative result, 71.4% were pleased and the majority felt that their partners would be more disappointed with the negative result than they were. Health care services that teens felt would be most helpful were one-on-one contraceptive education and discussion sessions with their own health care provider. Conclusions Sexually active teen women with negative pregnancy test results are at high risk of subsequent pregnancy and STIs, and present important opportunities for preventive reproductive health care during visits with health care providers.