title: Contraceptive care for adolescents.
abstract: Adolescents have a high rate of unintended pregnancy: 82% of pregnancies for women aged 15 to 19 years are unintended. The large majority of sexually active adolescent women are using some method of contraception, but few are using long-acting highly effective methods, that is, intrauterine devices and implants. Most adolescent women are relying on oral contraceptive pills and/or condoms as their most effective method, with the third most common method being depot medroxyprogesterone acetate. None of the long-acting highly effective methods are contraindicated in adolescents, and they should be considered for use and offered to young women as contraceptive options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, Illinois, USA. amy.whitaker@uchospitals.edu
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilliam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003273:Contraceptive Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral