title: The Use of Telehealth to Teach Reproductive Health to Female Rural High School Students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of telehealth to teach reproductive health to rural areas with high rates of teen pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two high schools in rural West Virginia.
  
  
  METHODS
  High school female students who attended telehealth sessions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teleconferencing equipment connected rural high schools to a distal academic institution. Telehealth sessions included reproductive health and life skills topics. Demographic information, session pre- and post-tests, and 6- month assessment was obtained.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reproductive health knowledge, behavior, and self-efficacy were assessed at intervention and at 6 months, along with Likert scale evaluation of telehealth as an educational tool.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five students participated in the program with an average age of 16.14 (SD 1.24) years. Only 20% (10/50) of subjects' mothers and 12% (6/50) of subjects' fathers had achieved education beyond high school, and 20% (10/50) of subject's mothers had experienced teen pregnancies (age 18 or younger). Sexual activity was reported among 52% (26/50) of subjects, 4/50 (8%) reported desire to become pregnant within the next year, and 4/50 (8%) reported already pregnant. Thirty-seven students completed the 6-month follow-up survey. Reported condom use increased from 20% (10/50) at baseline to 40% (15/37) at 6 months (P = .04) and hormonal contraception use increased from 22% (11/50) to 38% (14/37) (P = .12). Report of human papillomavirus vaccination increased from 38% (10/26) to 70% (26/37) (P = .001) among all subjects. At 6 months, 91.8% (34/37) reported the use of telehealth was "very effective" as a means to teach the material.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telehealth is an effective tool to teach reproductive health to rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia. Electronic address: yoost@marshall.edu.
authors.forename: Jennie Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yoost
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.
authors.forename: Rachael Whitley
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Starcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.
authors.forename: Rebecca Ann
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: King-Mallory
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.
authors.forename: Nafeeza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.
authors.forename: Christina Ann
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hensley
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.
authors.forename: Todd William
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Gress
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000193:education*; D012424:Rural Population; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D014903:West Virginia
keywords: Birth control; Reproductive health; Teen pregnancy; Telehealth