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From 1995 to 2002, receipt of contraceptive services dramatically increased among U.S. women aged 15 to 44, according to research published online Aug. 13 in the American Journal of Public Health. Jennifer J. Frost, of the Guttmacher Institute in New York City, compared data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, which had a sample size of 10,847 respondents, and the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, which had a sample size of 7,643 respondents. In both surveys, women were asked whether or not they had received 13 specific sexual and reproductive health care services -- the first five of them contraceptive services -- from a doctor or other medical care provider in the previous 12 months. Between 1995 and 2002, Frost found no significant difference in the overall proportion of women receiving any sexual or reproductive health care service (72.1 percent versus 73.8 percent). But she found a significant increase in the proportion of women reporting receipt of one or more contraceptive services from a medical provider (35.7 percent in 1995 to 41.4 percent in 2002, which represents a 19 percent increase). She also found significant increases in the proportions of women reporting receipt of some specific services: counseling about birth control (increased from 14.5 percent to 18.6 percent), receipt of birth control method or prescription (increased from 27.5 percent to 33.9 percent), pregnancy test (increased from 16 percent to 19.7 percent), and STD testing or treatment (increased from 7.6 percent to 12.6 percent). "Further analysis must be done to determine the importance of patient characteristics, access to insurance, and provider practices as contributing factors in these trends and patterns," the author concludes. "My findings can inform the work of policymakers and program planners when developing recommendations for improving the delivery and financing of sexual and reproductive health care services in the United States." Abstract Prepared jointly by the editors of RN and HealthDay's Physicians' Briefing (www.physiciansbriefing.com). |  Practice Tools Coding Counselor Simple and accurate ICD-9 code search. Start Here  Formulary Counselor Find health plan drug coverage in your area. Start Here  Patient Education Print customized patient education handouts. Start Here  Surgical Video Center On-demand surgery demos and presentations. Start Here       |
