Adolescent emergency contraception: attitudes and practices of certified nurse-midwives

Teenage pregnancy has reached epidemic proportions in the United States with I million pregnancies and more than 500,000 live births occurring each year among women under the age of 20. The safety and efficacy of postcoital administration of oral contraceptives, commonly called "emergency contraception" (EC), have been well documented. However, EC is dramatically underused in the United States. Because low use of EC may be attributable, in part, to both lack of knowledge, as well as misinformation on the part of health care providers, further research in this area is warranted. Because midwives play a significant role in the provision of reproductive health care to adolescents, their attitudes about the use of EC among teens may impact the availability of emergency contraception options to these clients. This article presents results of a survey of certified nurse-midwives with respect to their attitudes, practices, and policies related to EC and provides recommendations specific to this provider population.