Adolescents’ Birth Control Practices

Background: Challenge facing family planning programs worldwide is birth control knowledge, practices amongst adolescents. Problems related to teenagers unprotected sexual activity, low contraceptive use either because of lack of knowledge or availability, reliance on clandestine abortion are apparent. Objectives: Study was done in rural institute to know birth control practices amongst adolescents. Material and methods: Study was done to know birth control practices among adolescents compared to adult women (20 to 34 years). Study subjects 500 women of less than 20 years, two controls of 20-34 years for each study subject (1000), total of 1500 subjects were interviewed with help of predesigned pretested questionnaire. Confidentiality was assured, ensured. Analysis was done about contraceptive use, birth control practices amongst adolescents, adults. Results: Sixty two percent study subjects, 63.4% controls also were rural, as are health seekers of this rural institution, catering to needs of rural as well as urban masses. Only 13.8% adolescents were using or had ever used some form of contraception compared to 30.03% controls. Of study subjects 31(6.2%) had used condom, 10(2%) had used it before first conception, 21(4.2%) after first birth. Of 24 adolescents who had intrauterine device (IUD), three had post abortal insertion and 21 had after first birth. All 12 women who used oral contraceptive pills (OCP) had started use after first birth. Two women after having 2 children each, had undergone sterilization by age of twenty. Amongst adolescents 64.86% induced abortions were in second trimester compared to 13.79% second trimester abortion in controls, second trimester abortions in adolescents 60% were around 18 weeks, 40% were between 14 to 16 weeks. Conclusion: Contraceptive use amongst adolescents is quite low. They seek induced abortion for unwanted pregnancy quite late. It seems, a lot needs to be done to promote contraceptive use and create awareness and ensure availability, use of safe early abortion amongst adolescents. It should be part of family life education. It seems a lot needs to be done to create awareness, contraceptive practices and safe early abortion amongst adolescents.