Vulnerable Teenagers Research Articles

Present Bodies. Emancipated Voices

This video essay is the result of a co-creation process carried out for six months with vulnerable teenagers who participated in a film workshop informed by a communitarian feminist epistemology in Toro, Colombia. Our aim, as co-creators of this process, is to collectivize the potencies of an emancipatory thought through images, sounds, and words in the face of gender-based violence that continues to take place in Latin America, particularly in the small city of Toro (a marginalized town witness to the violence resulting from drug trafficking). We also aim to affirm academic filmmaking as a propitious space for the consolidation of a material thought that relocates the body to the center of its motivations and movements. Our ambition has been to affirm academic filmmaking as a gesture of social justice, as well as a way of revitalizing and decolonizing the university.

Upaya Pemberdayaan Keluarga Melalui Program Workshop Bina Masyarakat Dalam Meningkatkan Kesadaran Beragama Di Desa Kondangjajar

The efforts to empowering families in Kondangjajar Village through this community development workshop program aim to increase religious awareness in Kondangjajar Village, especially for vulnerable teenagers aged 13-17 years. Collaborative cooperation between families, communities and local government in creating religious awareness among teenagers in Kondangjajar Village is an important thing to do. This community service was carried out in Kondangjajar Village, Cijulang District, Pangandaran Regency in August 2023. The method used in this service is the participatory action research (PAR) method, where this method focuses on colaborative problem solving between academics, the community and the local government. Problem identification is carried out qualitatively. The problems found are created on a priority scale and discussed by the service team, community leaders and the local village government to design the service program that will be implemented. The results of the service found that efforts to empowering families through community development workshop programs in increasing religious awareness in Kondangjajar village were able to provide strengthening for the community.

Endek Collaboration Unisex Top Clothes Design and Painting on Plain Fabrics

Entrepreneurship is the process of creating something different by devoting all of one' s t ime and energy accompanied by taking r isks f inancially, psychologically, socially, and receiving remuneration in the form of money and personal satisfaction. Agung Bali Collection as a partner in the Entrepreneurial MBKM activity has an important role in designing Endek Patchwork Collaborative Unisex Tops and Paintings on Plain Fabrics and in adding insight as well as introducing the author to new painting techniques using canting massage. The author performs several s tages in this production process such as; the stage of searching for materials, the s tage of making dress patterns, the s tage of cutting or cutting endek patchwork patterns, the stage of sketching paintings, painting designs usin g painting paint, the packaging s tage, and the marketing stage. The main target in marketing the production of painted clothing in collaboration with endek patchwork i s the Indonesian people, ranging f rom vulnerable teenagers to vulnerable adults aged 18 - 25 years. Trika. Collection i tself is a writer' s personal business, this business i s engaged in fashion and art by utilizing online media as a promotional medium, with plain t - shirts and endek patchwork as i t s main products. Plain t - shirts and endek patchwork are the raw materials for making products because the materials are s trong and environmentally friendly, and the use of endek patchwork in the Agung Bali Collection as a form of preserving t raditional culture and processing patchwork waste into goods wil l have high selling power.

Using an Integrated Training Course with Family, Community, and Buddhism in solving Unintended Pregnancies among Vulnerable Thai Youth

This study aims to involve the institutions of family, community, and Buddhism in designing a training course that could enhance vulnerable youths’ knowledge of unintentional pregnancy prevention. The attitude toward the involvement of the three stakeholders and changes in teens’ behaviors are also the center of the investigation. 302 vulnerable teenagers from Khon Kaen, Thailand, were sampled. Purposeful sampling was used. Income, marital status, and neighborhood were used to choose participants. 10 public workers responsible for protecting vulnerable youth were also sampled to take part in an interview session aiming to investigate participants’ behaviors. The instruments consist of a training course for vulnerable youth unintended pregnancy prevention, a test for unintended pregnancy prevention knowledge, a satisfaction questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. Frequency, percentage, mean score, SD, and t-test were used to examine the data. The content analysis assessed qualitative data. The results study illustrates how a training course developed with the collaboration between institutions concerned with human development led to the development of knowledge, attitudes, and positive behavioral changes among vulnerable youths.

Locked in and locked out: sequelae of a pandemic for distressed and vulnerable teenagers in Ireland

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on teenage psychiatry referrals following crisis presentation to the adult emergency department (ED) of an Irish tertiary hospital. In doing so, this study will specifically examine the effect of COVID-19 on self-injurious behaviour, suicidality and substance use among older adolescents (age 16/17 years).MethodsThis is a retrospective descriptive analysis of acute adolescent psychiatry referrals assessed out-of-hours via the adult ED psychiatry service across three consecutive time points (during the months of March, April and May) from pre-pandemic, 2019 (T1); initial pandemic, 2020 (T2); and peak pandemic, 2021 (T3). Data were obtained via the hospital’s ED-specific electronic database, review of original assessment notes and cross-referenced by manually extracting data logged in the on-call register.ResultsCrisis psychiatry assessments of teenagers during on-call hours trebled during the period of this study (p < 0.001). Although ED/crisis referrals initially decreased overall at the start of the pandemic, the rate of teenage referrals remained constant, before increasing as restrictions tightened in lockdown. The negative impact of COVID-19 on teenagers’ ability to cope was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.001). Changes in rates of self-harming and/or suicidal behaviours were not statistically significant between 2019, 2020 and 2021 (p = 0.082). Alcohol misuse occurred in up to one-third of cases across each timeframe and remained virtually constant throughout the pandemic. Drug misuse decreased from onset of COVID-19 (p = 0.01).ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically examine the impact of COVID-19 on suicidality, self-harming behaviours, substance misuse and on-call ED presentations of teenagers in Ireland. This study demonstrates that coronavirus-related stress is associated with negative mental health sequelae for vulnerable at-risk older adolescents, as evidenced by a rise in ED presentations and on-call referrals since the onset of the pandemic. Presentation of increased numbers of under-18’s for psychiatry assessment at the adult ED/general hospital indicates a deepening chasm between available and aspirational emergency (adolescent-specific) psychiatric care in the community. Mobilising resilience factors and maximising coping skills for at-risk youth will inform tailored intervention and support strategies along with adequate resourcing of services for vulnerable adolescents in the community.

Teenage pregnancy and its consequences: Evidence from a South-eastern rural community of Nigeria

Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the relationship between education and teenage pregnancy, and its grave consequences on vulnerable teenagers. Methodology: A systematic random sampling method was used to select a sample of two hundred young teenagers from the eight villages that make up the Ihuokpara community. Frequency tables and pie charts were used for the analysis and interpretation of data, while chi-square (x2) was used in testing the hypothesis. Results: The findings revealed that teenage pregnancies occur as a result of a lack of education (Ignorance) about sexuality and other reproductive health-related issues. However, the findings also revealed that there is a water-tight relationship existing between education and the tide of teen pregnancy so that the rate of awareness of sexuality determines the rate of teenage pregnancy. Limitations: This study only examines some factors such as the low level of education (ignorance) about sexuality, human reproduction, sexual health, and other reproductive health-related issues that may cause teenage pregnancy in Ihuokpara. The future researcher may find other factors that are not included in this study. Contribution: This study hopefully can give some things that are important for the individual, family, and communities to lend their support to others in their articulated efforts toward the teenage pregnancy cases. Keywords: 1. Adolescents 2. Educators 3. Nigeria 4. Teenagers 5. Teenage Pregnancy

Influence of Turn-Taking in Musical and Spoken Activities on Empathy and Self-Esteem of Socially Vulnerable Young Teenagers.

This study describes a preliminary test of the hypothesis that, when people engage in musical and linguistic activities designed to enhance the interactive, turn-taking properties of typical conversation, they benefit in ways that enhance empathy and self-esteem, relative to people who experience activities that are similar except that synchronous action is emphasized, with no interactional turn-taking. Twenty-two 12–14 year olds identified as socially vulnerable (e.g., for anxiety) received six enjoyable 1-h sessions of musical improvisation, language games that developed sensitivity to linguistic rhythm and melody, and cross-over activities like rap. The Turn-taking group (n = 11), practiced characteristics of conversation in language games, and these were also introduced into musical activities. This involved much turn-taking and predicting what others would do. A matched control group, the Synchrony group, did similar activities but in synchrony, with less prediction and no turn-taking. Task complexity increased over the six sessions. Psychometric testing before and after the series showed that the Turn-taking group increased in empathy on self-report (Toronto Empathy Questionnaire) and behavioral (‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’) measures, and in the General subtest of the Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory. While more work is needed to confirm the conclusions for relevant demographic groups, the current results point to the social value of musical and linguistic activities that mimic entrained, tightly coordinated parameters of everyday conversational interaction, in which, at any one time, individuals act as equal participants who have different roles.

News

One in 10 children are starting school at risk of measles due to plummeting MMR vaccination rates – with evidence showing that many parents simply do not understand the risks measles can pose. Too many young people are still not being taught the basics of relationships and sex education (RSE) despite the subject having now been mandatory for 18 months. Vulnerable teenagers are being let down by a care system that is not fit-for-purpose and often places them in greater danger of exploitation.

#YouWillBeFound: Participatory fandom, social media marketing and Dear Evan Hansen

Drawing on studies of fan participation, labour and parasociality, this article explores the continuing diversification of musical theatre fandom via social media and the interactive ways in which productions harness fan engagement. The analysis focuses on Dear Evan Hansen (2016) as a musical that depicts emotionally vulnerable teenagers and exploitative online communication, notions that are also often reflected in how fans interact with the show. Fan-generated content is regularly recycled as marketing material, and even as merchandise, that is used to sell the production. Similarly, the musical’s producers and marketing team frequently invite interaction around the musical’s core mantra, ‘You Will Be Found’. These interactions can benefit fans by potentially eliciting feelings of social inclusion that may be experienced as empowering. However, this practice can also be interpreted as equally as ethically dubious as some of the musical’s narrative content, given that fans are ultimately providing free advertising for a commercial musical.

Innovations in forest education: Insights from the best practices global competition

Forest education is confronted with the challenge of modernizing teaching approaches and methods, particularly so in light of changing employment and societal needs. Many innovative teaching methods are developed by multiple instructors and can be found at the local scales. They have a great and largely untapped potential for being recognized, further developed, and up-scaled. In order to facilitate this social innovation process, a global competition on the best teaching practices in forest education was conducted. The competition attracted 71 applications from 23 countries addressing primary to tertiary education levels. A selection process, which was based on pedagogical criteria, innovation, and demonstrable results, yielded ten short-listed finalists, and ultimately two winners. In this article we provide insights into the teaching innovations of those finalists, with special emphasis on the following two winners: “FOREST 101” programme, Korean Forest Welfare Institute, from the Republic of Korea, focused on stimulating the interests and creativity of vulnerable teenagers through forest-related activities. The other winner was “The Asia Pacific Forest Education Coordination Mechanism (AP-FECM)”, a tertiary level initiative, which featured among others, a series of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) on sustainable forest management, and increasing access to e-learning to a wider audience. Both initiatives demonstrated commitment to developing strong pedagogical practices and networking beyond their frontiers through collaborations among institutions and individuals. The results of the best practices competition and this article can be useful to inform and inspire teachers and education policy-makers in other localities about different ways of teaching forest-related subjects, developing a community of innovative teaching practice, and exchanging teaching methods globally.

13 Reasons Why: can a TV show about suicide be ‘dangerous’? What are the moral obligations of a producer?

The release of the Netflix’s show 13 Reasons Why caused significant public concern about the risk of suicide contagion among teenagers – particularly those who have suicidal thoughts. Practitioners and researchers expressed apprehension about the show for its apparent praise of suicide and for allegedly increasing suicide risk among vulnerable teenagers. However, there is a lack of clear evidence for the influence of fictional content on self-harm. Little is known about variations in media effects between news and fiction. The literature focuses mainly on non-fictional media reporting, without making any distinction between individual vulnerability and the type of media portrayal. The present article criticizes the assumption that risk of self-harm is reduced by sanitizing fictional content. The absence of definite scientific evidence is precisely why this article re-addresses the problem through an ethical perspective by focusing on the moral responsibility of Netflix. Censoring fiction may do more harm than good, but producers have the responsibility to evaluate in advance the potential impact that such content has on vulnerable people, and to support viewers as well as parents, educators, and practitioners through an adequate campaign of prevention.

Adolescent Substance Abuse and Family Environment: A Qualitative Study

Background: Substance abuse has always been one of the major health concerns in Iran. Substance abuse during adolescence has a range of negative consequences for the individual. Earlier studies in Iran mainly focus on the epidemiology of substance abuse among adolescents and few studies have focused on its underlying factors. Objectives: This study was aimed to explain the family factors underlying the development of a tendency for substance abuse among adolescents. Patients and Methods: This is a qualitative study, and the conventional content analysis method was used. The participants consisted of 12 people who were selected using purposeful sampling method. They were the adolescents in Tehran Province Youth Detention Center in Iran with previous or current experience of substance abuse in the age range of 15 - 19 years old. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Four themes were obtained based on the research goal: Paternal role, maternal role, discipline methods, and family function. The paternal role consisted of three categories of insufficient paternity, passive paternity, and lack of paternity. The maternal role was comprised of incompetent maternity, and lack of maternity. The discipline methods were composed of three categories of punitive discipline, enhancing affection, and inadequate supervision. Finally, the family function referred to a blaming and unsupportive family. Conclusions: Substance abuse prevention programs for vulnerable teenagers will have better outcomes by involving their parents, particularly their fathers. Also, it seems the mental health and addiction policymakers need to prioritizing family education as one of the most important substance abuse prevention strategies in vulnerable adolescents.

Formations de l’idéal, Hikikomori et virtuel à l’adolescence

GoalsWithdrawal behaviours among teenagers have become a major topic in both clinical practice and the specialized literature. Known since the 1980s in Japan as Hikikomori, these behaviours are found across international nosographies in a variety of models. They are not always accompanied by intensive video gaming. There are varied uses of digital technology among teenagers, in terms of both quantity and quality. They can relate to the formation of an ideal, on the boundaries between virtual reality and illusion, it can also be a step toward the renewal of social relationship, since it enables a less threatening confrontation with the object. MethodUsing a clinical case of a fifteen-year-old teenager secluded in his home for eighteen months, we will explore the interactions between withdrawal behaviours and digital usages, from the perspective of the formation of an ideal. We will study how they intertwine with the formation of identity and with the processing of loss. ResultsIn Japan, where a cultural and sociological explanation of the Hikikomori is preferred, reference to psychiatry is excluded. The withdrawal can be understood within a particular form of culture, or rather a counter-culture, an idiom, a singular form of adolescent suffering that uses virtual reality as a specific mode of relationship with others and the world. The ideal, like adolescence itself, is characterized by its incompletion. It is also paradoxical, between confrontation with inadequacies and solutions to solve them. Virtual reality can thus enable the subject to fight against the consequences of the losses that define the process of adolescence. DiscussionWithdrawal behaviours occur in various psychic systems, all the more so when they start in adolescence or in early adulthood. The use of digital technologies makes it possible to freeze the course of time and to limit the impact of pubertal transformations and the confrontation with sexuality. For Maxime, the investment in the ideal and in virtual reality is deployed in a continuum between toxicity and creativity. Toxicity can be seen in the completion of the adolescent process and the preservation of a narcissistic omnipotence via an ideal self. ConclusionTeenagers withdrawn into their home do not all exhibit an intensive use of digital technology which can be perceived as trophy at this age. Video games enable narcissistic reinforcement, less threatening object relationships, and a less painful confrontation with loss for the most vulnerable teenagers. Virtual reality and the construction of an ideal can together contribute to the resumption of the adolescent process.

Formations de l’idéal, Hikikomori, et réalité virtuelle à l’adolescence

GoalsWithdrawal behaviors in adolescents are becoming increasingly prevalent, both in clinical practice and in the specialist literature. First described in 1980s Japan as hikikomori, these behaviors are now found across international nosographies and in a variety of structural models. They are not always accompanied by intensive video gaming. Adolescents’ use of digital technologies is quantitatively and qualitatively varied. It can be situated in a particular mobilization of ideal-formations at the intersection of the virtual and the illusory. It can also be a step towards a renewal with social relationships, in that it allows for a less threatening confrontation with the object. MethodUsing the clinical example of a 15-year-old secluded in his home for 18 months, we will explore the interactions between withdrawal behaviors and the use of digital technologies from the perspective of ideal-formation. We will examine how the formations of the ideal intertwine with the processes of identification and with the subject's ability to process loss. ResultsIn Japan, a cultural and sociological explanation of hikikomori is preferred, and the reference to psychiatry is excluded. Withdrawal behaviors can be understood within a particular form of culture, or rather a counterculture: an idiomatic or singular form of adolescent suffering that uses virtual reality as a specific mode of relating to others and to the world. The ideal, like adolescence itself, is characterized by its incompleteness. Paradoxically, this notion also contains both a confrontation with the subject's inadequacy and the possibilities for remedying this inadequacy. Virtual reality can thus enable the subject to fight against the consequences of the losses that define the process of adolescence. DiscussionWithdrawal behaviors appear in a variety of psychical constellations, especially since they tend to begin in adolescence or in early adulthood. The use of digital technologies makes it possible to stop the passage of time and to limit the impact of pubertal transformations and of the confrontation with sexuality. Maxime's investments in the ideal and in the virtual play out on a continuum between toxicity and creativity. Toxicity can be seen in the stagnation of the adolescent process and the preservation of a narcissistic omnipotence via an ideal ego. ConclusionNot all housebound adolescents use digital technologies intensively; and the digital can also contain a restorative dimension at this age. For the most vulnerable teenagers, video games enable narcissistic reinforcement, less threatening object relationships, and a less painful handling of loss. Together, virtual reality and the formations of the ideal can help “restart” a stalled adolescent process.

Addiction profiles of patients with substance dependency living in Adiyaman province

Substance dependence is a pervasive international problem that severely affect the physical and mental health of the individuals who have them, their families, especially the vulnerable teenagers who are at risk of developing physical and mental health problems and substance abuse because of their parentÂ’s addictions. In contrast to the magnitude of the problem, little research and practice literature addresses these issues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the addiction profiles of patients with substance dependency living in Adiyaman. This study was conducted on addicted males in Adiyaman, Turkey. A total of 80 consecutively presenting males who agreed to participate in the study were evaluated. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Addiction Profile Index Clinical Form (API-C)-Practitioner Form. 4 patients (5%) had low addiction severity (1.6 points below), 41 patients (51.2%) had moderate addiction severity (1.6 to 4.6 points), and 35 patients (%43.8) had high addiction severity. There was a significant difference in terms of substance use characteristics subscale (p=0,019), anger management problems subscale (p=0,005), and novelty seeking behaviour subscale (p=0,002) in comparison of API subscales, API total scores, and API-C additional subscales according to age (≤25 years and >25 years). The vast majority of patients were found to have a moderate or high addiction severity, especially in young patients. It was seen that the anger problems and novelty seeking behaviours were more related to age. These characteristics, which are mostly related to young patients, should be considered during substance abuse treatment.

Pathways to educational aspirations: resilience as a mediator of proximal resources and risks

ABSTRACTEducational aspirations play an important role in educational achievement, understanding more about the factors that shape aspirations should enable educators and others who support young people to better articulate educational ambitions and then to work towards their achievement. Given this, the current paper uses a form of integrative data analysis to examine two issues. First, it identifies that a social ecological measure of resilience mediates the impact which proximal risks and resources have upon young people’s educational aspirations. Second, it establishes that the linkages between these proximal risks and resources, resilience and educational aspirations are similar for young people facing high levels of adversity and young people on more or less normative developmental pathways. The paper draws on a data collected in the first wave of the Youth Transitions Study; a longitudinal mixed-methods investigation of the factors that influence transitions to adulthood for a group of vulnerable teenagers.

Combining Capabilities and Fundamental Human Needs: A Case Study with Vulnerable Teenagers in France

In the field of human development few studies attempted to combine the capability approach originally developed by Amartya Sen and the fundamental human needs approach developed by Manfred Max-Neef. The goal of this paper is to combine the two approaches in order to build a dynamic and multidimensional framework of human well-being. This framework enables a better description and assessment of the complexity of human well-being ranging from freedom of choice to needs satisfaction. To test this framework we conducted an action-research project with vulnerable teenagers who suffer severe social exclusion and educational difficulties. In order to assess subjective well-being inequalities, we organized participatory workshops followed by a questionnaire survey with the vulnerable group and with a control group. The results clearly demonstrate that the group of vulnerable teenagers suffers inequalities on almost all the dimensions of well-being that we tested. In sum, the theoretical reflections and the operationalization of the combined framework enables us (i) to better define and link the different concepts of capabilities, functionings, satisfiers and needs; (ii) to debate further the idea of a universal list of human well-being dimensions; (iii) to discuss the risk of aspirations adaptation of vulnerable students; (iv) to discuss the potential of needs and capabilities for improving education in a human development perspective; (v) to offer a matrix compounded of ten axiological capabilities and four existential capabilities; and (vi) to formulate a new definition of sustainable human development that reconciles needs and capabilities.

Girl A: The Truth about the Rochdale Sex Ring by the Individual Who Stopped Them: A CDA of a Rape Victim’s Testimony

As a result of one young woman's ability to speak out, nine men living in Greater Manchester were convicted in 2012 for sex trafficking of underage girls. Reports revealed that numerous vulnerable teenagers had been coerced into keeping quiet about this in exchange for various rewards, but, through one victim's account, we can visualize the torture endured at the hands of these men. In an interview on ITV, Girl A constructs her identity as a survivor who describes how she has been preyed upon. To show how she perceives her world, herself, and other participants, this article applies a Critical Discourse Analysis informed approach. The focus is on the TRANSITIVITY patterns (Halliday and Matthiessen 2014) employed in her discourse and that of the interviewers, with the aim of providing insights into how this system shapes the representation of a particular experience, in this case rape.

Central American mothers report family history of depression and alcohol abuse as a predictor of teenage health risk behaviors

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of family history of depression and alcohol abuse as a predictor of health risk behaviors among Central American teenagers. Demographic data were collected from a convenience sample of 101 Central American mothers with a teenage daughter ages 12-17 years who were living in Northern Virginia. The research questions assessed the family history of depression, alcohol abuse, and maternal depression. Scores were calculated to predict risk of teenage health risk behaviors. The Hispanic mothers in this study reported that their teenagers had significant health risk behaviors, including school dropout and expulsion, alcohol and substance use, pregnancy, and gang membership. Family history of depression and alcohol abuse in a first degree relative predicted teenage risk behavior 71% of the time. There is no consensus on a standard screening approach for depression in teenagers. Developing a standardized approach to gathering information from teenagers that includes genetic family traits may have significant effects on interventions for teenage health risk behavior and ways to provide the best services for vulnerable teenagers. The results of this study have implications for nurse practitioners caring for teenagers.

Low use and awareness of long-acting reversible contraception in women attending a South London genitourinary medicine clinic

Sirs: Samuel et al. describe how long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) in the form of a Mirena coil was useful for a woman with HIV. It improved her heavy periods and also provided effective contraception. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend LARC be promoted among sexually active teenagers a group who may have difficulties with consistent use of condoms and oral contraceptives. In January 2009 we conducted a cross-sectional survey to look at usage and awareness of LARC among women attending a genitourinary medicine clinic in southwest London. During a one-week period 122 women who attended the clinic were approached of whom 120 (98%) consented to filling in the questionnaire. The mean age of responders was 22 years (range 13-35) and 49 (41%) were teenagers. Most participants (57%) were from ethnic minorities. Thewomen described their ethnicity as white -43% black -42% (black-Caribbean black-African and black other) Indian -4% Pakistani -2% Chinese -2% any other ethnic group -7%. Current usage of LARC (defined as ?Depo provera injection implant or coil?) among the responders was 10% (11/120). This comprised 6% intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) 3% Depo provera injection and 1% contraceptive implant. Only four (8%) of the 49 teenagers were using LARC as their contraceptive method: three had an IUCD and one had an implant. Of all the participants 21% (24/120) said they had used LARC in the past. However more than half the women (54% [65/120]) including 59% (29/49) of teenagers said that they had never received any information about LARC. Over half the teenagers (57% 28/49) said their reason for not using LARC was ?insufficient information/knowledge?. We found that current usage of LARC (8%) among the teenagers in our study was much lower than other methods of contraception such as condoms (44%) and the contraceptive pill (34%). Samuel et al. point out the benefit of LARC in preventing pregnancy while preserving fertility. We agree that LARC should be more widely promoted especially among vulnerable teenagers. (full-text)