Prevalence and determinants of long‑acting reversible contraception initiation among teenage mothers in a tertiary hospital / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

ABSTRACT

Background@#According to the WHO, about 16 million girls at the age of 15–19 years give birth each year. In the Philippines, 600 live births a day are registered under teenage mothers. At Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, 12% of all obstetric admissions yearly are teenagers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends long‑acting reversible contraception (LARCs), in the form of intrauterine device and progestin subdermal implant as pregnancy prevention options for young mothers. The objective of the study was to identify the prevalence and determinants of long‑acting reversible contraception (LARC) initiation among teenage mothers in Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.@*Methodology@#Prospective observational study: A self‑administered questionnaire was given to the respondents wherein they ranked determinants involved in their selection of a contraceptive method on a scale of 1–4 (1 being the most important, and 4, the least important.@*Results@#A total of 162 teenage mothers participated in the study. Majority of the respondents were 17–18 years old, enrolled up to high school, single, unemployed, and primiparas. Eighty‑seven percentage of all teenage mothers admitted at Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center from December 2020 to December 2021 used long‑active reversible contraception. Ranked from most (1) to least (4) important, the respondents considered: (1) Effectivity, (2) Long duration, (3) Family influence, and (4) Peer influence as their determinants for initiating LARC method. The high effectiveness and long duration of LARC were the primary reasons for initiation, while the least factors they considered were that of peer and family influence.