Factors associated with compliance to oral contraceptive use in an adolescent population

Because adolescents often do not use contraception effectively, this study was undertaken to determine the factors that affect oral contraceptive compliance. One hundred and one patients who chose oral contraceptives as their first method of birth control were interviewed. The results suggest that the most important factors associated with noncompliance are an age of 15-16 years at initiation of oral contraception, no plans to attend college, dissatisfaction with the clinic visit, the occurrence of side effects, and lack of parental involvement with the clinic visit. There was no association of compliance with prior pregnancy or parental knowledge of pill use. Contraceptive programs may be improved by addressing adolescent concerns regarding drug side effects, anticipating their reasons for discontinuing the pill, and following up frequently those adolescents at greatest risk for noncompliance.