Can social determinants of health influence the reproductive health of adolescents and young adult women

Abstract

The purpose of this initiative (Ascend) was to determine if one could apply social determinants of health concepts that focus on employment through a primary preventive care clinic to influence the employment and medical outcome of women. Minority low-income post-secondary adolescents and young adult women (AYA) were recruited to participate in an allied health-training program from their medical home, a reproductive health care clinic. Twenty-nine sexually active high school graduate women enrolled in the program. As a result, the majority of the cohort completed the training and were eligible for employment. Participants continued to access care, including contraception in their medical home and there were no subsequent pregnancies among enrollees. This project concludes that social determinant linking access to employment via a medical home has both direct and indirect effect on the health and employment well-being of young women.