Teenagers' perceptions of unplanned adolescent pregnancies and oral contraceptive use.

Adolescent women who are sexually active often do not use contraceptives consistently and correctly. Adolescents are sexually active for an average of 15 months before initiating regular contraceptive use and the majority of young women who initiate use discontinue within the first year after initiation. This study enrolled 50 young women who initiated oral contraceptive use and was designed to provide more understanding of their perceptions about the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy and about contraceptive use. They were again contacted 6 weeks after initiation of oral contraceptives to assess continuation. Findings revealed that 90% of the subjects were sexually active at the time of the first visit; the mean period of sexual activity was 15 months. Only 30% had used a nonprescription birth control method during this period. While perceiving themselves to be highly susceptible to pregnancy, many young women continue to have psychosocial barriers to contraceptive use. Follow-up contact revealed more than 10% of the subjects were not using oral contraceptives.