Contraceptive Practices in Adolescents Attending the Family Planning Unit at Srinagarind Hospital

Abstract

This retrospective descriptive study was conducted to determine the characteristics and contraceptive practices among 411 adolescents aged 10-19 years who attended family planning clinic at Srinagarind Hospital. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result showed that the majority of subjects (83.6%) were 17-19 years old; 68.1% lived in the city district; 48.9% were unemployed; 94.6% had ever been pregnant; 44.3% and 19.7% had experienced in contraceptive practice and abortion, respectively. Regarding contraceptive practice, the results showed that, 55.7% of subjects never used any contraception before attending the clinic. Among those who used, the most popular method was oral contraceptives which being used by 58.8%. After receiving information at the clinic, all subjects chose to practice contraception and 64% of them used Depo Provera. The results of this study show that contraceptive practices among sexually adolescents were low. This indicates the need for appropriate sex education and contraceptive practices. These data will be benefcial in determining future preventive and educational strategies for the prevention of unplanned pregnancy in adolescents.