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Published on: November 9, 2016
Emergency contraception: pediatricians' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions
N H Golden1, W M Seigel, M Fisher
1Schneider Children's Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York 10040, USA. golden@lij.edu
Pediatrics
|February 7, 2001
Summary
Pediatricians lack knowledge and comfort prescribing emergency contraception (EC) to adolescents, despite its safety and efficacy. Most surveyed pediatricians desire more training on EC to improve adolescent reproductive healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Adolescent Medicine
- Medical Education
Background:
- Emergency contraception (EC) is crucial for preventing unintended pregnancies after unprotected intercourse.
- Physician awareness and comfort with prescribing EC, particularly for adolescents, remain limited.
- Understanding pediatrician perspectives is key to improving access to EC for young people.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and opinions of practicing pediatricians concerning EC use in adolescents.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to EC prescription by pediatricians.
Main Methods:
- An anonymous survey was distributed to 954 pediatricians in New York.
- The questionnaire assessed knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on EC for adolescents.
- Data were analyzed based on physician demographics and practice characteristics.
Main Results:
- Only 24.4% of surveyed pediatricians completed the questionnaire.
- A significant majority (72.9%) could not identify FDA-approved EC methods, and only 31.6% felt comfortable prescribing it.
- Inexperience (70%) was the primary reason cited for not prescribing EC, with some expressing concerns about encouraging risk-taking behavior (22%).
Conclusions:
- Despite EC's proven safety and efficacy, low prescription rates are a concern.
- Pediatricians report inadequate training and express a strong interest (87.5%) in learning more about EC.
- Enhanced education and training are needed to improve pediatricians' comfort and confidence in prescribing EC to adolescents.
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