Long-acting Reversible Contraception Use Research Articles

What Providers Know vs. What Providers Do: Barriers to Contraception in Adolescents

INTRODUCTION The teenage birth rate in West Virginia (WV) remains among the highest in the United States. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) as first-line contraception. Because WV teenagers' LARC use is exceptionally low, the objective of this study was to gain insight into the current knowledge, practice, and beliefs of health care providers (HCP) in WV regarding LARC for adolescent patients. METHODS An electronic survey using Qualtrics.com was distributed to WV HCPs. Of the 2,196 HCPs contacted, 132 respondents returned the survey, and 109 completed usable data. RESULTS A majority of HCPs were aware that LARC (i.e., intrauterine devices and implantable devices) is the first line recommendation of the ACOG and AAP for adolescent birth control. However, HCPs most frequently prescribed combination oral contraceptives and injectables, which are not first-line recommendations. Notably, 59% of HCPs prescribing combination oral contraceptives believed they were prescribing according to COG and AAP recommendations. Forty-one percent of HCPs knew that combination oral contraceptives were not a first-line recommendation but prescribed them most often. The most frequently identified most important reason for not prescribing LARC was that the HCP did not know how to place them (16.5% of respondents), followed by litigious or malpractice action if there is a malfunction or complication (4.6% of respondents). DISCUSSION These results indicate a need to provide adequate LARC training to HCPs in WV.

Impact of contraceptive counseling on Texans who can and cannot receive no-cost post-abortion contraception

ObjectiveTo assess optimal timing, patient satisfaction, and 1-year contraceptive continuation associated with contraceptive counseling among Texans who could and could not receive no-cost long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) via a specialized funding program. Study DesignIn this prospective study conducted between October 2014 and March 2016, we evaluated participants’ desire for contraceptive counseling during abortion visits, impact of counseling on change in contraceptive preference, satisfaction with counseling, and 1-year postabortion contraceptive continuation. We stratified participants into 3 groups by income, insurance status, and eligibility for no-cost LARC: (1) low-income eligible, (2) low-income ineligible, and (3) higher-income and/or insured ineligible. We examined the association between contraceptive counseling rating and 1-year method continuation by program eligibility and post-abortion contraceptive type. ResultsAmong 428 abortion patients, 68% wanted to receive contraceptive counseling at their first abortion visit. Counseling led to a contraceptive preference change for 34%. Of these, 21% low-income eligible participants received a more effective method than initially desired, 10% received a less effective method, and 69% received the method they initially desired. No low-income ineligible participants received a more effective method than they initially desired, 55% received a less effective method, and 45% received the method they initially desired. Five percent of higher-income eligible participants received a more effective method than they initially desired, 48% received a less effective method, and 47% received the method they initially desired. Highest counseling rating was reported by 51%. Compared to those providing a lower rating in each group, highest counseling rating was significantly associated with lower 1-year contraceptive discontinuation for low-income eligible participants (aHR 0.34, 95% CI 0.14, 0.81), but not for low-income ineligible (aHR 1.56, 95% CI 0.83, 2.91) and higher-income (aHR 0.73, 95% CI 0.47,1.13) participants. Additionally, 1-year contraceptive continuation was associated with highest counseling rating (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.09, 2.72) and post-abortion LARC use (OR 11.70, 95% CI 6.37, 21.48) in unadjusted models, but only postabortion LARC in adjusted models (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 0.90, 2.66 for highest counseling rating vs. aOR 11.83, 95% CI 6.29, 22.25 for postabortion LARC use). ConclusionsIn Texas, where access to affordable postabortion contraception is limited, high quality contraceptive counseling is associated with 1-year contraceptive continuation only among those eligible for no-cost methods. ImplicationsState policies which restrict access to affordable post-abortion contraception limit the beneficial impact of patient-centered counseling and impede patients’ ability to obtain their preferred method.

The effect of mobile video training for healthcare providers on long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use among adolescents and young women.

To assess whether improving providers' education by video training using a mobile phone could affect providers' knowledge and attitude toward long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), and thus further affect adolescents' and young nulliparous women's decisions to use LARCs. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTION, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This prospective case-control study was performed between 2019 and 2020. A total of 40 healthcare providers participated, of which 20 received "LARC First" video training, whereas the other 20 served as the control group and received no training. Surveys were conducted of 244 adolescents and young women who were consulted by these 2 groups of healthcare providers before abortion surgery. The data were used to analyze the relationship between providers' knowledge scores and the percentage of women who received counseling on LARCs decided to use LARCs, and what percentage continued to do so 12 months after surgery. Providers from the study group scored higher in LARC knowledge than the control group. Compared to the control group, women in the study group reported receiving more counseling on LARCs (81.4% vs 7.9%) and more often chose to use LARCs (24.6% vs 2.4%). Twelve months later, there was no significant difference in contraceptive continuation between study and control groups, but study group participants were more likely to be using LARCs (P < .001). Video training for providers improved both their knowledge and willingness to recommend LARCs and increased the probability of adolescent and young nulliparous women using these methods to reduce unintended pregnancy.

RETRACTED: Family planning in COVID-19 times: access for all

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially strained health systems and transformed the sexual and reproductive health environment worldwide. A WHO survey showed that across 105 countries, 90% have had health service disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.1 One of the most commonly disrupted areas is family planning services, with 68% of countries reporting service disruptions. The Guttmacher Institute estimated that a 10% decline in use of short-term and long-acting reversible contraceptives across 132 low-income and middle-income countries would increase the unmet need for contraception over the course of 1 year to 48·6 million women, resulting in 15 million additional unintended pregnancies, 1·7 million additional women with major obstetric complications without care, and more than 3 million additional women resorting to unsafe abortions.

Cost-Effectiveness of Contraceptive Use in Indonesia after the Implementation of the National Health Insurance System.

Since 2014, Indonesia has initiated to implement a national health insurance system, which included both of short- (SARC) and long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) into the benefit package. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of contraceptive use in Indonesia after the implementation of the national health insurance in 2014-2017. A decision tree model was developed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of contraceptive use in Indonesia in 2014-2017 by comparing two strategies of pregnancy prevention: contraceptive and non-contraceptive. For contraceptive strategy, we took into account SARC and LARC. In a comparison with non-contraceptive, we calculated that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of SARC would be $5.18, $4.80 and $3.76 per pregnancy averted for injection, condom, and pill, respectively. For LARC, we calculated that the ICER would be $1.67 and $0.84 for implant and intrauterine device (IUD), respectively, compared with non-contraceptive. In general, the cost-effectiveness value of LARC ($1.25) was much better than SARC ($4.58). The cost of contraceptive was considered to be the most influential parameter affecting both the ICER of SARC and LARC. In conclusion, the use of LARC in Indonesia was considered to be more cost-effective than SARC since the implementation of national health insurance system. In particular, IUD yielded the greatest cost-effectiveness value, compared with other methods.

Long-Acting Reversible Contraception: Placement, Continuation, and Removal Rates at an Inner-City Academic Medical Center Clinic.

Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARCs) has the potential to decrease unintended pregnancies but only if women can easily access a requested method. Retrospective electronic chart review identified women desiring LARC placement over a one-year period ending 31 December 2016. Most of the 311 insertions were for family planning, with 220 new insertions and 60 replacements. Delays occurred in 38% (n = 118) of patients, averaged 5 ± 5 weeks, and 47% received interval contraception. Reasons included absence of qualified provider (n = 44, 37%), pending cultures (n = 31, 26%), and Mirena availability. Teenage LARC use favored Nexplanon whereas older women preferred Mirena (p < 0.01). Of the 11% choosing early LARC removal, a significant number were African Americans (p = 0.040) or teenagers (p = 0.048). Retention time varied by device type; most patients switched to other contraceptives. No patients experienced IUD expulsion. Understanding barriers, attempting to remedy them, and addressing the side effects associated with LARC use is of importance in this inner-city patient population in the United States.

Evaluating teen options for preventing pregnancy: Impacts and mechanisms

This paper presents findings from an experimental evaluation of the Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy (TOPP) program, an 18-month intervention that consists of a unique combination of personalized contraceptive counseling, facilitated access to contraceptive services, and referrals to social services. We find that TOPP led to large and statistically significant increases in the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), accompanied by substantial reductions in repeat and unintended pregnancy among adolescent mothers. We provide an exploratory analysis of the channels through which TOPP achieved its impacts on contraceptive behavior and pregnancy outcomes. A back-of-the-envelope decomposition implies that the increase in LARC use can explain at most one-third of the reduction in repeat pregnancy. We provide suggestive evidence that direct access to contraceptive services was important for increasing LARC use and reducing repeat pregnancy. We did not find any spillover effects on non-targeted outcomes, such as educational attainment and benefit receipt.

Correlates of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives Use among Female Youths in Rivers State

This study explored the factors that correlate with long-acting reversible contraceptive use among female youths in Rivers state. Two specific objectives with corresponding research questions were formulated for the study. Two null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A mixed-method research design was used. The study population comprised 85,197 female youths in Rivers state. A multistage sampling procedure was used to draw a sample of 1,428 female youths. A self-structured questionnaire (CLARCUQ) was used as the research instrument while data analysis was done using mean, standard deviation, linear regression and simple percentage. Some of the findings of the study revealed that LARC's service providers' attitude at a correlated rate of 2.6% while access has a correlate of 1.8%, showing low extent altogether. Based on the quantitative outcome, it was concluded that LARC use is low but essential to address health malady among female youths in Rivers state. It was therefore recommended that the ministry of education should collaborate with school administrators and women organizations to sensitize the female youths in Rivers state on reproductive health services and the healthcare service providers in Rivers state should be supported by relevant authorities to improve their education, knowledge, skill and awareness about LARC for the younger group in the society.

Addressing long-acting reversible contraception access, bias, and coercion: supporting adolescent and young adult reproductive autonomy.

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is comprised of highly effective methods (the subdermal implant and intrauterine devices) available to adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Professional medical societies endorse LARC use in AYAs and, more recently, have emphasized the importance of using a reproductive justice framework when providing LARC. This article reviews reproductive justice, discusses contraceptive coercion, examines bias, and highlights interventions that promote equitable reproductive healthcare. Research indicates that both bias and patient characteristics influence provider LARC practices. AYA access to comprehensive LARC services is limited, as counseling, provision, management, and removal are not offered at all sites providing reproductive healthcare to AYAs. Interventions aimed at addressing provider bias and knowledge, clinic policies, confidentiality concerns, insurance reimbursement, and systems of oppression can improve AYA access to equitable, comprehensive contraceptive care. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities in reproductive healthcare, as well as provided unique innovations to decrease barriers, including telemedicine LARC services. Clinicians who care for AYAs should honor reproductive autonomy by approaching contraceptive services with a reproductive justice lens. This includes implementing patient-centered contraceptive counseling, increasing access to LARC, eliminating barriers to LARC removal, and committing to systemic changes to address healthcare inequities.

31. Contraception Consistency in Postpartum Adolescents versus Adults and Associated Impact on Short Interval Pregnancy Rate

<h3>Background</h3> An unintended pregnancy for an adolescent may cause complex, lasting challenges for the patient and their community. Once in the peripartum period, there are numerous opportunities to empower a patient to make reproductive choices compatible with their family planning goals regardless of age. In spite of improved counseling, prior studies have revealed that adolescents are less likely to opt for long acting reversible contraception (LARC) than non-adolescents. The objective of this study is to evaluate contraceptive choices between postpartum adolescents and adults, consistency in contraception plans across various peripartum time points, and associated rate of short interval pregnancy (SIP). <h3>Methods</h3> This retrospective, observational study was performed at an urban, tertiary hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The participants were defined as adolescent patients (< 22 years old at the time of delivery) or adults seen on labor and delivery between Jan. 1, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2017. Medical records were reviewed through 18 months postpartum to evaluate for consistency in contraception utilization and occurrence of SIP. Comparison of contraception choice was performed between adolescents and adults. The primary outcome of postpartum contraception consistency and incidence of SIP was compared within the adolescent group. Secondary analysis evaluated patient participation in postpartum visits, use of LARC vs. non-LARC, and the associated risk of SIP. Statistical analysis consisted of Chi Square test of association and logistic regression analysis. This study was approved by the on-site Institutional Review Board. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 207 adolescents and 1077 adults with complete data were included in the study. Prior to delivery, adolescents were significantly more likely to choose LARCs as their contraceptive plan as compared to adults (P=<0.00001). No such difference existed when either reporting no postpartum contraception plan or choosing non-LARCs (P=0.07 and 0.24, respectively). An inconsistent contraceptive plan was found to be an independent and significant predictor of SIP (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.4, 95% CI 1.2-9.4, P = 0.02) even when controlling for lack of a postpartum visit or whether a patient chose a LARC vs. non-LARC as their final contraceptive choice. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Inconsistency of contraception plan was found to confer a greater risk of SIP in the adolescent group than even lack of participation in a postpartum visit or the choice of utilizing a LARC vs. non-LARC as the final form of contraception. Therefore, continuous counseling of adolescents about their choice of contraception and developing a consistent plan in the peripartum period is crucial to reducing the incidence of unintended and short interval pregnancy.

Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Gaborone, Botswana.

Botswana has a high pregnancy rate among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use among AGYW in Botswana is low, despite its high effectiveness for preventing pregnancy. Using an implementation science framework, we assessed barriers and facilitators to LARC implementation among AGYW in Botswana. Cross-sectional mixed methods. Gaborone, Botswana. Twenty sexually active AGYW ages 18-24 years; 20 health system stakeholders. Surveys and semistructured interviews grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Themes reflecting barriers and facilitators of LARC implementation. The median age for AGYW was 22 (interquartile range, 21-23) years. Twenty percent were using an implant and none had ever used an intrauterine device. Barriers and facilitators of LARC implementation spanned factors at each Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domain: (1) LARC characteristics like side effects; (2) the clinics' inner settings, including availability of youth-friendly services; (3) characteristics of health system stakeholders, such as LARC skills, and AGYW experiences, attitudes, and beliefs about LARCs; (4) the outer setting external to clinics and Botswana's health system including reproductive health law and policy for minor adolescents; and (5) the implementation process level such as the availability of free or low-cost LARCs. We identified multilevel, context-specific factors that affect LARC implementation. Our findings can inform the development of interventions to increase LARC implementation in Botswana by addressing intersecting factors across patient, clinic, health system, and sociopolitical levels, such as providing confidential services to minors and improving LARC training and supply chain pipelines.

Training of healthcare providers and use of long-acting reversible contraception in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.

Unintended pregnancy, a major global health issue resulting in unsafe terminations of pregnancy and maternal deaths in low- and middle-income countries, could be significantly reduced through increased use of modern contraception, including long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). Training of healthcare providers to administer such contraceptives may improve uptake. We conducted a systematic review to collate the end-user uptake data following training of healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries. We searched PubMed, Embase, the Global Health Library and the Cochrane Library up to 23May 2020. The review was restricted to low- and middle-income countries and focused on healthcare providers who had received training in LARC. Studies that reported contraceptive uptake among women, preference of LARC among healthcare workers and/or women, and unplanned pregnancies within 12months of LARC initiation were included. All included studies underwent quality assessment using either the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool or the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020185291. A total of 28 studies (end-users n=6112544) were included (27 cohort studies and one randomized trial). Nineteen studies were set in Africa, five in Asia, one in Central America and four were multi-country studies. Twenty-eight studies reported LARC use among women, and 25 studies found an increase in uptake of LARC by women using short-acting methods switching to longer-acting methods or by recruiting new users of LARC. The randomized controlled trial was assessed as high quality and reported positive findings; however, there was great heterogeneity in the type of intervention and of how outcomes were measured among the other included studies. Further, the quality of these studies varied, although it should be noted that the poor-quality studies reflected the trends of those of higher quality. Despite heterogeneity, current evidence indicates that training of healthcare providers in LARC may increase the uptake among women in low- and middle-income countries. More robust studies are warranted to inform policy.

Acceptability of immediate postpartum and post-abortion long-acting reversible contraception provision to adolescents: A systematic review.

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods are safe for adolescents and provide the greatest assurance against rapid repeated pregnancy when inserted during the immediate postpartum (IPP) and immediate post-abortion (IPA) period. Despite increasing enthusiasm for IPP/IPA LARC insertion, adolescents' preferences and experiences have seldom been examined. The objective of this review was to examine the attitudes of adolescents (aged 10-19years) towards IPP/IPA LARC, their experiences and perceptions around having an LARC device fitted IPP/IPA and the factors involved in decision-making to use, not use or discontinue IPP/IPA LARC. In January 2021, we searched seven bibliographic databases for original research articles published in English, from the year 2000. Studies of any design focused on IPP/IPA LARC were eligible for inclusion. Three of the authors assessed articles for eligibility and extracted data relevant to the outcomes of the review. Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools were used to assess methodological quality. Key themes emerging from the data were synthesized and reported narratively. We identified 10 relevant articles, four of which were entirely adolescent-focused. Only three addressed IPA LARC. IPP availability was important for ensuring access to LARC postpartum. Attitudes towards LARC IPP were associated with adolescents' sociodemographic characteristics and positive perceptions related to the long duration of action. Determinants of discontinuation and nonuse included poor-quality contraceptive counseling, intolerable side effects and subsequent distress, misconceptions about LARC safety IPP and the influence of partners and community on autonomy. No factors involved in IPA LARC decision-making were available. Limited evidence demonstrated that adolescents may favor contraceptive implants over intrauterine devices, and in certain contexts may face greater barriers to IPA LARC access than adult women do. Immediate insertion of LARC postpartum appears acceptable to adolescents who do not experience side effects and those with the opportunity to make autonomous contraception decisions. This important topic has been addressed in few studies involving an entirely adolescent population. Very limited evidence is available on IPA LARC. Further research on adolescents' lived experiences of IPP/IPA LARC access and use is necessary to inform the provision of person-centered care when assisting adolescents' contraceptive choice following pregnancy.

Addressing Women's Health Care Needs During Pediatric Care.

Objective: To determine if the use of a simple self-administered Postpartum Questionnaire for Mothers (PQM) at the well-baby visit (WBV) increased the proportion of women who received health care and contraception by 6 months postpartum (PP).Methods: This was a single-site, system-level, intervention. Women were recruited from the pediatric clinic when presenting with their infants for a 2-month WBV. During phase 1 of the study, a control group was enrolled, followed by an 8-week washout period; then enrollment of the intervention group (phase 2). During phase 2, the PQM was administered and reviewed by the pediatrician during the infant's visit; the tool prompted the pediatrician to make a referral for the mother's primary or contraceptive care as needed. Data were collected at baseline and at 6 months PP, and additional data were extracted from the electronic medical record.Results: We found that PP women exposed to the PQM during their infant's WBV were more likely to have had a health care visit for themselves between 2 and 6 months PP, compared with the control group (relative risk [RR] 1.66, [confidence interval (CI) 0.91–3.03]). In addition, at 6 months PP, women in the intervention group were more likely to identify a primary care provider (RR 1.84, [CI 0.98–3.46]), and more likely to report use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (RR 1.24, [CI 0.99–1.58]), compared with women in the control group.Conclusion: A simple self-administered PQM resulted in an increase in women's receipt of health care and use of LARC by 6 months PP.Clinical Trial Registration: Use of a reproductive life planning tool at the pediatric well-baby visit with postpartum women, NCT03448289.

89590 A multi-theoretical analysis of the design, implementation and outcomes of The Greater Rochester LARC Initiative to prevent unintended teen pregnancy

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This study provides insights on how to replicate a successful initiative for preventing unintended teen pregnancy. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Reducing unintended teen pregnancy is a national health priority, and a recommended strategy is to increase awareness and availability of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). The Rochester LARC Initiative did this, and teen LARC use rose from 4% to 24%. The goal of this study is to determine key elements for replicating the intervention. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Our initiative used an innovative approach we call ‘community detailing’ to deliver education about LARC to adults working with teens. We analyzed the intervention goals, design components, implementation strategies, and public health outcomes. Our analysis was informed by the CDC model for Promoting Science-Based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention Using Getting to Outcomes (PSBA-GTO), Diffusion of Innovations, and RE-AIM framework for implementation outcomes. We compared our model with characteristics of LARC-promotion efforts, as well as successful health education campaigns. We tabulated the components of our intervention across theoretical domains, aiming to determine essential elements of effective design, adaptation, and dissemination &amp; implementation. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The initiative incorporated multiple components common to successful health education programs: measurable behavior-change outcomes; formative research before roll-out; tailored communications for different audiences; speakers who were credible, knowledgeable and skilled communicators; content that was new to recipients and essential for decreasing barriers to desired behaviors. It included elements of successful LARC promotion/teen pregnancy prevention programs, such as organizing information by effectiveness of methods and using youth-empowering messaging. It differed from other successful programs by offering discussions to adults who work with teens in both medical and community settings. This analysis also highlights unintended positive ripple effects. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: These results establish how community detailing is effective for disseminating actionable information about the safety, efficacy and availability of LARC. These insights could inform other prevention initiatives. An anticipated practical product of this study will be a user-friendly manual for replicating the LARC Initiative in other locations.

Time to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Uptake Over Twelve Months Postpartum: Findings of the Yam Daabo Cluster Randomized-Controlled Trial in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PurposeAn earlier adoption of contraceptive methods during the postpartum period could help women to extend the inter-pregnancy interval. This article aimed to determine and compare the timing of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) use (ie, intrauterine device and implant) in Burkina Faso (BF) and DR Congo (DRC) between the intervention and control groups.Patients and MethodsA total of 1120 postpartum women were enrolled and followed up to 12 months postpartum. We used Yam-Daabo trial data which was a multi-intervention, single-blinded, cluster-randomised controlled trial done in primary health-care centres (clusters) in both countries. Centres were randomly allocated to receive the six-component intervention or standard antenatal and postnatal care in matched pairs (1:1). We did a secondary analysis using Royston-Parmar’s semi-parametric model to estimate the effect of the interventions on the median time of LARC uptake.ResultsOur analysis included 567 postpartum women in BF (284 in the intervention group and 283 in the control group) and 553 in the DRC (274 in the intervention group and 279 in the control group). After showing an increase in family planning use in these two African countries, Yam Daabo’s interventions showed a reduction of the median time of LARCs adoption in the intervention group compared to the control group in both countries (difference of 39 days in Burkina Faso; difference of 86 days in the DR Congo).ConclusionThe Yam Daabo intervention package resulted in increased and earlier adoption of LARC in rural settings in Burkina Faso and urban settings in DR Congo. Such an intervention could be relevant in similar contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa with very high fertility rates and high unmet needs for contraception.

Unmet need for postpartum long-acting reversible contraception in women with substance use disorders and/or socioeconomic disadvantage.

In Australia, it is estimated that 30% of pregnancies are unintended and 25% of pregnancies end in abortion. Unintended pregnancy can be particularly problematic for women with substance use disorders (SUD) and/or socioeconomic disadvantage. Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) including progestogen implants and intrauterine devices (IUD) are safe, affordable and extremely effective in decreasing rates of unintended pregnancy, yet are currently underutilised in Australia. To determine the current rate of unintended pregnancy, contraception counselling and postpartum LARC use in women who attend an antenatal clinic for SUD and/or socioeconomic disadvantage in pregnancy. We hypothesise that there is an unmet need for contraception in this population. We conducted a retrospective audit of women who birthed in a tertiary hospital in 2018 with SUD and/or additional social support needs. We recorded the rate of unintended pregnancy, the occurrence of antenatal and postpartum contraception counselling and the rate of immediate postpartum LARC uptake through review of our electronic medical database. Of the 210 women in our study population, we identified a high proportion of unintended pregnancies (64%), a low rate of antenatal (11%) and postpartum (35%) contraception counselling, and a low uptake of immediate postpartum LARC use (3.3%), confirming an unmet need for contraception. Further intervention is required to enhance the access to immediate postpartum LARC and reduce the risk and health burden of unintended pregnancy.

Vital Directions, Quality, And More

From the Editor-In-Chief Health AffairsVol. 40, No. 2: Vital Directions, Quality & More Vital Directions, Quality, And MoreAlan R. WeilPUBLISHED:February 2021Free Accesshttps://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00033AboutSectionsView PDFPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsDownload Exhibits TOPICSQuality of careHealth equityHealth disparitiesRacismMedicaidMedicare AdvantageMedicaid patientsAccess to carePandemicsOut-of-pocket expensesNonprofit statusMortality ratesMortalityMedicare savings programs PhysiciansEmergency departmentsWomen's healthChildren's healthMental healthSubstance use disorderThis month’s issue leads with articles from the National Academy of Medicine’s Vital Directions for Health and Health Care 2021 project, which sets forth priorities for the new administration of President Joe Biden, who took office January 20, 2021.Vital DirectionsVictor Dzau and coauthors identify the overarching theme of the Vital Directions series as “the clear and urgent obligation for the US to turn its full attention to the growing problem of health inequities and to the structural racism that perpetuates such disparities.” Peter Daszak and coauthors review US pandemic preparedness and outline steps to strengthen our ability to anticipate and respond to future pandemics. Elena Fuentes-Afflick and coauthors draw on a life-course framework to identify promising interventions to improve the health of women and children. Terry Fulmer and coauthors identify six strategies to improve care and quality of life for older adults. Margarita Alegría and coauthors describe new models of care that focus on mental health and addiction. William Shrank and coauthors discuss health cost and financing priorities to advance access, affordability, and equity.QualityDavid Meyers and coauthors use data from a natural experiment to quantify the degree to which Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with higher star ratings provide better care. Enrollees in an MA plan with one more star were 3.4 percent more likely to use a higher-rated hospital and 2.6 percent less likely to be readmitted within ninety days of discharge.Peter Smulowitz and coauthors describe physician-level variation in emergency department admission rates for Medicare fee-for-service patients. Within-hospital admission rates range from 32.2 to 45.6 percent for physicians at the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, leading the authors to conclude that there is “substantial variation in rates of admissions among physicians at the same hospital that is not related to observable patient characteristics.”Fabian Duarte and coauthors show that the reduction in the rate of uninsurance among adults ages 60–64 due to the Affordable Care Act greatly increased rates of cancer detection for this population. Fifty-nine additional incidents of cancer were detected per 100,000 people, and 68 percent of these were early- and middle-stage cancers—and thus more likely treatable.EquityAll-cause mortality rates increased dramatically in 2020 because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Maria Polyakova and coauthors show that excess mortality in April 2020 was much higher for Blacks than for Whites and that racial and ethnic disparities varied significantly by state.Rishi Wadhera and coauthors analyze all-cause mortality rates for rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries dually enrolled in Medicaid from 2004 to 2017. Although all-cause mortality declined for both groups across the study period, rates were higher among rural beneficiaries (92.8 per 1,000) than among their urban counterparts (75.1 per 1,000).Lisa Iezzoni and coauthors surveyed US physicians about their perceptions of care for people with disability. Only 40.7 percent of respondents were “very confident” they could “provide the same quality of care” to patients with disability as to patients without disability.This month, Health Affairs launches our own equity initiative. Please keep an eye out for more information on the Health Affairs Blog.Access To CareIn 2012 the South Carolina Medicaid program began paying for long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) separately from the global maternity payment. Maria Steenland and coauthors find that this increased immediate postpartum LARC use among adolescents by 0.19 percentage points per month.Johanna Catherine Maclean and coauthors find that Medicaid acceptance by residential substance use disorder treatment facilities increased in states that received Institutions for Mental Diseases waivers by 19 percent in the first year and 34 percent in the second year.Tamara Beetham and coauthors audited 368 residential addiction treatment programs in the US. They find that 65 percent of for-profit programs use one or more aggressive recruitment techniques compared with only 9 percent of nonprofit programs.Steven Chen and coauthors analyze commercial health insurance claims in 2017 and find that “nearly 40 percent of commercially insured people incurred half of their annual out-of-pocket spending in just one encounter, and 26 percent incurred 90 percent of their annual out-of-pocket spending in only one or two encounters.”AcknowledgmentsHealth Affairs thanks the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for their financial support of publication of the Vital Directions articles in this issue. Loading Comments... Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. DetailsExhibitsReferencesRelated Article Metrics History Published online 1 February 2021 Information© 2021 Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.PDF download

Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Users’ Knowledge, Conversations with Healthcare Providers, and Condom Use: Findings from a U.S. Nationally Representative Probability Survey

Objectives To describe long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) users’ knowledge, patient-provider interactions, and condom use associated with LARC use. Methods: Data are from the 2018 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, a probability survey of Americans aged 14–49. Results: Of 1,451 sexually active women, 11.2% used intrauterine devices, and 3.1% used implants. Approximately 19-26% of LARC users reported inaccurately on LARC longevity, and 30% reported relying on their provider to indicate the timing of intrauterine device removal. Consistent condom use among LARC users was rare (6.1%). Conclusions: Our findings have implications for how clinicians educate patients on LARC and condom use.

Utilization of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) Methods in a tertiary hospital in southwestern Nigeria: A Mixed Methods Study.

There is an increasing trend in the utilization of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods globally. The study assessed the utilization of LARC methods and its determinants in a tertiary hospital, southwestern Nigeria using a mixed method study. A cross-sectional study of women attending the Family Planning Clinic of the tertiary hospital was conducted between November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019 using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data was collected using structured questionnaire while in-depth interviewer topic guide was used to obtain qualitative data from the respondents. The quantitative and qualitative data obtained from the respondents were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and open code version 3.6.2, respectively, and the determinants of utilization of LARC methods were identified using multivariate regression model. The current utilization rate of LARC methods was 65.6% and implants accounted for 75% of LARC used. Higher education (p = 0.035), more than 3 living children (p = 0.030), previous use of LARC (p = 0.028), good knowledge (p = 0.025) and positive attitude of the women about LARC (p = 0.026) were significant determinants of utilization among the women. Limiting size of family was the commonest reason among LARC users, while partner disapproval, fear of procedure and side effects were reasons given by non-users. The utilization rate of LARC methods are high, and this should be sustained through improved information dissemination, education of women and involvement of male partners in reproductive health matters including family planning.