Background: In the United States, a disproportionate number of unintended pregnancies occur among African Americans, particularly those in their later teenage years and early 20s. Mobile technology is becoming more ubiquitous as a method for health promotion; however, relatively little research has been done with this population to determine their perspectives about unintended pregnancy, the potential of successfully using mobile technology to prevent unintended pregnancy, and the content of such programs.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to obtain the perspectives of African American emerging adults about unintended pregnancy and the use of mobile technology to reduce unintended pregnancy rates.
Methods: Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 83 African Americans, aged 18-21 years. Data were analyzed using an open coding process. Emergent codes were then added as needed, and themes and subthemes were identified.
Results: Participants cited the social environment and lack of education as primary reasons for disproportionate rates of unintended pregnancy. They noted that unintended pregnancy is an important issue and that they desire more sexual health information. They enthusiastically supported mobile technology as a means to communicate unintended pregnancy prevention programming and offered many suggestions for program content, look, and feel.
Conclusions: Young and emerging adult African Americans want and need sexual health resources, and a mobile-based platform could be widely accepted and address needs to lower disproportionate rates of unintended pregnancy. An essential next step is to use these findings to inform the development of a mobile-based unintended pregnancy prevention and sexual health program prototype to determine feasibility.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/21454 | DOI Listing |
Risk Manag Healthc Policy
January 2025
Department of Maternity Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Jawa Barat, Indonesia.
Many interventions have been studied to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge and attitudes. These interventions aim to prevent adolescents from the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unwanted pregnancy, and abortion. The lack of comprehensive sex education contributes to adolescents' limited understanding of SRH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurol Clin Pract
April 2025
Brigham MS Center (MKH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Georgia State University (MCM), Atlanta; Brigham and Women's Hospital (TDM, JP-P, CS, JZ), Boston, MA; Massachusetts General Hospital (ECK), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; University of Vermont (AJS), Burlington; Elliot Lewis MS Center (EL, JK), Wellesley, MA; University of Massachusetts (CI, IB), Worcester, MA; Novartis Pharmaceuticals (JMS), Jersey City, NJ; Concord Hospital (AC), NH; and University of British Columbia (ADS), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Background And Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects more than 1 million people in the United States, including reproductive-age women. There has been a paucity of prospective, pregnancy registries based on MS disease rather than medication exposures. A prospective MS pregnancy registry (PREG-MS) was established in 2017 as a prospective, single-cohort, real-world MS pregnancy registry in New England States of the United States, with goals to evaluate (1) course of MS and disease-modifying therapies (DMT) use during conception attempts and in the peripartum period, (2) pregnancy outcomes in women with MS (WwMS), and (3) longer-term developmental outcomes in offspring of WwMS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
End-user feedback early in product development is important for optimizing multipurpose prevention technologies for HIV and pregnancy prevention. We evaluated the acceptability of the 90-day dapivirine levonorgestrel ring (DPV-LNG ring) used for 14 days compared to a dapivirine-only ring (DVR-200mg) in MTN-030/IPM 041 (n = 23), and when used for 90 days cyclically or continuously in MTN-044/IPM 053/CCN019 (n = 25). We enrolled healthy, non-pregnant, HIV-negative women aged 18-45 in Pittsburgh, PA and Birmingham, AL (MTN-030 only).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
December 2024
Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Introduction: The intrauterine device (IUD) inserted immediately after delivery is a safe and effective measure for preventing unplanned pregnancies. Despite exhibiting a higher expulsion rate compared with later insertions, it proves cost-effective due to the high rate of continuity of the method. There is still a gap in the literature regarding the optimal strategy for monitoring these patients, whether it should be through clinical examination, ultrasound or both.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
December 2024
Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Introduction: Young women are disproportionately affected by HIV in South Africa and have a high incidence of unintended pregnancies. Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), contraception and screening for seally transmitted infections (STIs), remains limited in South Africa, in part due to inadequate infrastructure and individual barriers to care. Integrated, community-based SRH services have the potential to overcome barriers to clinic-based care for women at risk of HIV, unintended pregnancy and STIs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!