Family planning for inner-city adolescent males: pilot study

The results of a pilot family planning program (FPP) in a pediatric practice are reported for 66 inner-city male adolescents. The FPP was designed to eliminate registration barriers to the procurement of contraceptives by adolescent males, and to prompt the community neighborhood health center (CNHC) providers to initiate discussion of birth control with their male adolescent patients. Utilization data show that males were more likely to receive contraceptives if the provider first raised the topic of birth control to them. Unstructured follow-up interviews with 27 adolescent male FPP users identified a desire for anonymity/confidentiality and embarrassment or discomfort as the key reasons for not seeking contraceptives from the CNHC. If health care providers are sensitive to male adolescents' feelings about birth control, community health centers potentially could serve as a cost-effective source of contraceptives for sexually active male adolescents.