The impact of race and ethnicity on receipt of family planning services in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to examine the independent effect of patient race or ethnicity on the use of family planning services and on the likelihood of receiving counseling for sterilization and other birth control methods.


METHODS
This study used national, cross-sectional data collected by the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Our analysis included women aged 18-44 years who had heterosexual intercourse within the past 12 months, who were not actively seeking to get pregnant, and who had not undergone surgical sterilization. The primary outcome was receipt of family planning services within the past 12 months. Specific services we examined were (1) provision of or prescription for a method of birth control, (2) checkup related to using birth control, (3) counseling about sterilization, and (4) counseling about birth control.


RESULTS
Although we found no racial/ethnic differences in the overall use of family planning services, there were racial/ethnic differences in the specific type of service received. Hispanic and black women were more likely than white women to receive counseling for birth control (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2, 1.8, and adjusted OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1, 1.7, respectively). Hispanic women were more likely than white women to report having been counseled about sterilization (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0, 2.3).


CONCLUSIONS
Minority women were more likely to receive counseling about sterilization and other birth control methods. However, there were no differences in access to family planning services by race or ethnicity. Future studies are needed to examine the quality and content of contraceptive counseling received by minority compared with nonminority women.
Borrero
Sonya
S
Divison of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. borrerosp@upmc.edu
Schwarz
Eleanor B
EB
Creinin
Mitchell
M
Ibrahim
Said
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female