Negative pregnancy tests in urban adolescents: an important and often missed opportunity for clinicians.

This study describes a project to determine the incidence of negative pregnancy tests performed in an urban community for teens 18-years old and younger. Pregnancy test logs were kept at a variety of clinical agencies for a three-month period. Five hundred and fifty urine pregnancy tests were performed; 77% were negative.

Clinicians' views on reproductive needs and services for teens with negative pregnancy tests.

Issues And Purpose: To explore services available to adolescent girls at the time of the negative pregnancy test (NPT) in an urban community.

Design And Methods: Clinician focus groups were conducted to identify the needs of adolescents at the time of a NPT result.

Results: Teens access care in a variety of ways, services provided at the time of a NPT were agency and clinician dependent, and strategies for follow-up care often were unstructured.