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Parental Notification and Teens' Use of Sexual Health Services

Nearly half of teenage girls surveyed said that they would stop using sexual healthcare services if parental notification were required to obtain prescription contraceptives.

A variety of state and federal legislative proposals would require parental notification when adolescents obtain prescription contraceptives. These authors surveyed girls younger than 18 years about the potential effect of parental notification on their use of sexual healthcare services. The main survey was given to single, sexually active girls who visited Planned Parenthood clinics in Wisconsin in 1999; a second survey in 2001 included a sample of girls from 3 urban clinics in the same state. The 2 survey groups were demographically similar.

Forty-seven percent of the 950 girls in the main survey reported that they would stop using all Planned Parenthood services if parental notification were required; another 12% indicated that they would discontinue use of some services. Eleven percent said that they would discontinue or delay screening or treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), even though the survey stated clearly that their parents would be notified only if they received prescription contraceptives. Younger age and white race were correlated with the intention to stop using services.

Among the 230 girls who participated in the second survey, 110 (48%) indicated that they would stop using services if notification were required. This subset predicted that they would instead use condoms (57%), have unprotected coitus (29%), use withdrawal as a contraceptive method (29%), or become abstinent (1%). Fourteen percent of the girls who predicted that they would use condoms also indicated that they would have some unprotected coital events or use withdrawal.

Comment: This study has several limitations; for example, projected and actual behaviors of adolescents may differ, and the sample was restricted to girls seeking care at Planned Parenthood. However, the results are still staggering: About half of the girls would stop obtaining services, and most of these girls would adopt less protective methods of contraception or have unprotected coitus if parental notification were required to obtain prescription contraceptives. One percent (yes, only 1%!) would become abstinent. Given the fecundity of adolescents and the risk for transmission of STIs, one has to conclude that parental notification would be a public health disaster.

— Ann J. Davis, MD

Published in Journal Watch Women's Health November 6, 2002

Citation(s):

Reddy DM et al. Effect of mandatory parental notification on adolescent girls' use of sexual health care services. JAMA 2002 Aug 14; 288:710-4.

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