Education needed to decrease teens' misconception about emergency contraception

PHILADELPHIA, August 19, 2008 – Targeted health education may help urban, minority adolescent women better understand how the emergency contraception pill works and eliminate some misconceptions about side effects, confidentiality and accessibility, according to a study by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers interviewed 30 African-American females ages 15 to 19 seeking care at Children's Hospital's emergency department. The patients returned after their visit for a one hour interview about history of sexual activity and pregnancy, religious beliefs, and attitudes and beliefs about pregnancy and the emergency contraception pill (ECP). After answering several knowledge-based questions about ECP, the teens watched a 3-minute video about ECP before answering the attitude and belief questions. The study, which... [read full story]