Screening and brief intervention with adolescents with risky alcohol use in school-based health centers: A randomized clinical trial of the Check Yourself tool.

Background: This study aimed to compare care delivery and alcohol and marijuana use for adolescents with risky alcohol use who received a school-based health center (SBHC) visit with and without the Check Yourself tool, an electronic tool that gives motivational feedback on substance use and summarizes results for providers. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 148 adolescents aged 13-18 who met criteria for moderate- to high- risk alcohol use, recruited from urban SBHCs. Participants were randomized to receive their SBHC visit with (n = 73) or without (n = 75) the Check Yourself screening and feedback tool. All SBHC providers received a brief training on motivational interviewing. Results: Adolescents who received the Check Yourself tool + SBHC visit reported higher levels of alcohol (67%) and marijuana (73%) counseling from the provider during their visit, compared with those who received a SBHC visit without the tool (40% and 45%, respectively, Ps < .005), and had higher motivation to decrease marijuana use relative to those who did not (P = .02). Relative to baseline, adolescents in both groups reduced their typical number of drinks of alcohol, maximum number of drinks of alcohol, and hours high on marijuana over time (Ps < .02) at 2-month follow-up. Conclusion: When adolescent patients are given an electronic screening and feedback tool, it can prompt providers to increase counseling of adolescents with substance use risk. Overall, participants who had a visit with a trained provider reported high satisfaction with care and decreased the amount of alcohol use over 2 months, suggesting that SBHCs are an excellent venue for delivery of brief substance use interventions.

Reviewing Manuscripts: A Systematic Approach.

Peer-review of manuscripts submitted for publication in a scholarly journal is a cornerstone of the scientific process. Most scholars receive little or no training on how to conduct this key component of academic citizenship. This article provides guidance on a systematic approach to performing peer-review.

Video Intervention to Increase Perceived Self-Efficacy for Condom Use in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Female Adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of the Seventeen Days interactive video on young women's perceived self-efficacy for using condoms 6 months after being offered the intervention, relative to a control. DESIGN: Multisite randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Twenty participating health clinics and county health departments in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. PARTICIPANTS: Sexually active female adolescents ages 14 to 19 years. INTERVENTIONS: Seventeen Days (treatment intervention; sex education) vs Driving Skills for Life (control intervention; driving education). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived self-efficacy for condom use. RESULTS: Participants in the Seventeen Days group reported higher perceived condom acquisition self-efficacy after 6 months than those in the driving group. This finding held after controlling for baseline self-efficacy scores and other covariates. CONCLUSION: The Seventeen Days program shows promise to improve perceived self-efficacy to acquire condoms among sexually active female adolescents-an important precursor to behavior change.

Contraceptive counseling among pediatric primary care providers in Western Pennsylvania: A survey-based study.

OBJECTIVES: Data suggest that adolescents in the United States receive inadequate contraceptive counseling. This study sought to determine factors affecting pediatricians' discussion of contraception with adolescent patients, with a specific focus on long-acting reversible contraception-implantable contraception and intrauterine devices. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was sent via email to a convenience sample of pediatric residents and pediatric primary care providers in Western Pennsylvania. Self-reported contraceptive counseling and prescribing practices in response to clinical vignettes were assessed. RESULTS: Of potential participants (287), 88 (31%) responded. Younger providers and providers who had received contraceptive training were significantly more likely to discuss long-acting reversible contraception methods. Discussion of contraceptive methods also varied by both the age and the sexual history of the patient. CONCLUSION: Variation in contraceptive counseling potentially results in missed opportunities to counsel about and provide the most effective contraceptive methods. More uniform, universal provider training might alleviate some of these inconsistencies.

2016 Updates to US Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use and Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use: Highlights for Adolescent Patients.

The US Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (MEC) and US Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (SPR) provide evidence-based guidance to safely provide contraception counseling and services. Both documents were updated in 2016 and are endorsed by the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. The purpose of this mini-review is to highlight updates to the US MEC and US SPR that are most relevant to health care providers of adolescents to support dissemination and implementation of these evidence-based best practices. This document is intended to highlight these changes and to complement, not replace, the detailed practice guidance within the US MEC and US SPR.

Sexual and Contraceptive Behaviors among Adolescents Requesting Emergency Contraception.

STUDY OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Unintended pregnancy rates in the United States remain high among adolescents. Emergency contraception (EC) provides the only option for pregnancy prevention after unprotected sex. To better define the population of adolescents who request and use EC pills, we performed a post hoc analysis of an over-the-counter simulation study of EC pills. SETTING: Teen reproductive health clinics in 5 cities. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 years who requested EC. INTERVENTIONS: Single-tablet levonorgestrel 1.5 mg. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We calculated the correlations between age and baseline sexual and contraceptive behaviors. χ2 Tests were used to compare behaviors of first-time and repeat EC users. RESULTS: Overall, the most commonly reported contraceptive methods ever used were condoms, oral contraceptives, none, and withdrawal; the most common method ever used in each age group was no method for 13- to 14-year-olds and condom for 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds. The percentage of participants who had never used contraception before requesting EC decreased with age (53% [20/28] of 13- to 14-year-olds vs 15% [10/65] of 17-year-olds). First-time EC users were more likely to report no previous contraceptive use compared with repeat EC users (42% [88/208] vs 10% [13/135]; P < .001). Regardless of age, the most commonly reported reason for requesting EC was nonuse of any contraceptive method (ie, "unprotected sex"). CONCLUSION: Adolescents who requested EC most commonly reported ever-use of contraceptive methods that rely on user adherence or no method at all, with younger adolescents more likely than older adolescents to have used no previous method. The provision of EC presents an opportunity to provide education and access to highly effective, long-term contraceptive methods.

Racial and/or Ethnic Differences in Formal Sex Education and Sex Education by Parents among Young Women in the United States.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the associations between race and/or ethnicity and young women's formal sex education and sex education by parents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of 1768 women aged 15-24 years who participated in the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed 6 main outcomes: participants' report of: (1) any formal sex education; (2) formal contraceptive education; (3) formal sexually transmitted infection (STI) education; (4) any sex education by parents; (5) contraceptive education by parents; and (6) STI education by parents. The primary independent variable was self-reported race and/or ethnicity. RESULTS: Nearly all of participants (95%) reported any formal sex education, 68% reported formal contraceptive education, and 92% reported formal STI education. Seventy-five percent of participants reported not having any sex education by parents and only 61% and 56% reported contraceptive and STI education by parents, respectively. US-born Hispanic women were more likely than white women to report STI education by parents (adjusted odds ratio = 1.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.99). No other significant racial and/or ethnic differences in sex education were found. CONCLUSION: There are few racial and/or ethnic differences in formal sex education and sex education by parents among young women.

Barriers to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Uptake Among Homeless Young Women.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify barriers to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) uptake among homeless young women. DESIGN: In this mixed methods study surveys and guided interviews were used to explore women's contraceptive and reproductive experiences, interactions with the health care system, and their histories of homelessness. SETTING: All surveys and interviews were conducted at a homeless drop-in center or shelter. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen women between 18 and 24 years of age with a past year history of homelessness. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived barriers to contraceptive use, including knowledge and access barriers and interactions with the health care system around reproductive health. RESULTS: Confusion about the possibility of early termination of LARC, and the perception that providers deliberately withhold selective information about contraceptive options to bias contraceptive decision-making, were 2 key new findings. Women also reported interest in visual aids accompanying verbal contraceptive counseling. Pregnancy attitudes and history of reproductive and sexual coercion also influenced contraceptive decision-making and reported interest in LARC methods. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive counseling about all contraceptive options, including LARC, are important for targeting the perceived gaps in contraceptive education and care among homeless young women.

Parents' Role in Adolescent Depression Care: Primary Care Provider Perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: To understand how primary care providers (PCPs) perceive barriers to adolescent depression care to inform strategies to increase treatment engagement. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted semistructured interviews with 15 PCPs recruited from community pediatric offices with access to integrated behavioral health services (ie, low system-level barriers to care) who participated in a larger study on treating adolescent depression. Interviews addressed PCP perceptions of barriers to adolescents' uptake of care for depression. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and coded for key themes. RESULTS: Although PCPs mentioned several adolescent barriers to care, they thought parents played a critical role in assisting adolescents in accessing mental health services. Important aspects of the parental role in accessing treatment included transportation, financial support, and social support. PCPs perceived that parental unwillingness to accept the depression diagnosis, family dysfunction, and trauma were common barriers. PCPs contrasted this with examples of good family support they believed would enable adolescents to attend follow-up appointments and have a "life coach" at home to help monitor for side effects and watch for increased suicidality when starting antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: In this PCP population, which had enhanced access to mental health specialists, PCPs primarily reported attitudinal barriers to adolescent depression treatment, focusing mainly on perceived parent barriers. The results of these qualitative interviews provide a framework for understanding PCP perceptions of parental barriers to care, identifying that addressing complex parental barriers to care may be important for future interventions.

Racial and ethnic differences in young men's sex and contraceptive education.

PURPOSE: Racial/ethnic disparities exist in young men's contraceptive knowledge. This study examines whether the likelihood of receiving sexual health education varies by race/ethnicity. METHODS: We examined racial/ethnic differences in sex and contraceptive education both in school and from parents with multivariable logistic regression models among 4,104 men aged 15-24 years using data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth. RESULTS: Nearly all respondents (96.6%) reported formal sex education. Fewer reported formal birth control education (66.6%), parental sex discussions (66.8%), and parental discussions specifically about birth control (49.2%). In multivariable analysis, black men were less likely than white men to report receiving formal contraceptive education (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], .70; 95% CI, .51-.96). Both black and U.S.-born Hispanic men reported more parental sex discussions than white men (aOR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.07-1.94, aOR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.09-1.99, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all respondents reported having received formal sexual health education. Fewer reported receiving education about birth control either at school or at home. Black men were less likely to report receiving formal contraceptive education.

Contraception for adolescents.

A working knowledge of contraception will assist the pediatrician in both sexual health promotion as well as treatment of common adolescent gynecologic problems. Best practices in adolescent anticipatory guidance and screening include a sexual health history, screening for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, counseling, and if indicated, providing access to contraceptives. Pediatricians' long-term relationships with adolescents and families allow them to help promote healthy sexual decision-making, including abstinence and contraceptive use. Additionally, medical indications for contraception, such as acne, dysmenorrhea, and heavy menstrual bleeding, are frequently uncovered during adolescent visits. This technical report provides an evidence base for the accompanying policy statement and addresses key aspects of adolescent contraceptive use, including the following: (1) sexual history taking, confidentiality, and counseling; (2) adolescent data on the use and side effects of newer contraceptive methods; (3) new data on older contraceptive methods; and (4) evidence supporting the use of contraceptives in adolescent patients with complex medical conditions.

Frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis-specific T cell interferon-γ and interleukin-17 responses in CD4-enriched peripheral blood mononuclear cells of sexually active adolescent females.

An evaluation of CD4 T cell responses to candidate Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine antigens was conducted in an adolescent female cohort exposed through natural infection to explore antigen immunogenicity and correlation with protection from reinfection. The frequency of peripheral blood CD4 T cell IFN-γ and IL-17 responses to three candidate vaccine antigens, polymorphic membrane protein G (PmpG), F (PmpF), and major outer membrane protein (MOMP), were determined by ELISPOT; responses to chlamydial heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and to elementary bodies (EB) were included for comparison. Responses of Infected (n=8), Seropositive/Uninfected (n=13), and Seronegative/Uninfected (n=18) participants were compared. The median CD4 IFN-γ response to EB was significantly increased in Infected (P=0.003) and Seropositive/Uninfected (P=0.002) versus Seronegative/Uninfected female subjects. Higher rates of positive IFN-γ responders to EB, PmpF, and MOMP were detected in Seropositive/Uninfected versus Seronegative/Uninfected participants (P=0.021). IL-17 responses were generally low. A positive IFN-γ response to any of the antigens tested was associated with a trend toward a reduced risk of reinfection, although not statistically significant. Among this adolescent cohort, chlamydial-specific CD4 IFN-γ but not IL-17 responses were detected in acutely and previously infected participants and a positive CD4 IFN-γ response was associated with a non-significant reduced risk of reinfection.

Adolescents' attitudes toward expedited partner therapy for sexually transmitted infections.

Adolescents (N = 392) attending 2 urban adolescent health clinics in 2010 were surveyed regarding likelihood completing expedited partner therapy (EPT), by bringing a partner exposed to chlamydia a prescription. Eighty-five percent (330/387; 95% confidence interval, 81%-89%), reported acceptance of EPT. Adjusted analyses showed higher education, notification self-efficacy, and romantic partner were associated with EPT acceptance.

Mental health and substance use disparities among urban adolescent lesbian and bisexual girls.

BACKGROUND: Sexual minority girls (SMGs) report large substance use disparities and victimization experiences, yet there is a dearth of research that focuses exclusively on SMGs. OBJECTIVE: To examine substance use and mental health disparities among SMGs and to determine whether disparities were larger for African American compared with European American girls. METHOD: Data were used from Wave 11 of the Pittsburgh Girls Study, a multiple-cohort, prospective study of urban girls. Girls for the current analysis were aged 16 to 19 years. Fifty-five percent were African American. One hundred and seventy-three (8.3%) identified as SMGs, and 1,891 identified as heterosexual. Multiple regression analyses controlling for age, race, and parent education were conducted. RESULTS: SMGs reported a robust pattern of large disparities in externalizing, internalizing, and borderline personality disorder symptoms. There was little evidence to suggest disparities were moderated by race. CONCLUSION: SMGs and their families would benefit from intervention and prevention programs to reduce disparities among this highly vulnerable population.

Cross-sectional evidence for a stress-negative affect pathway to substance use among sexual minority girls.

Sexual minority girls (SMGs) are four times more likely to engage in substance use than are heterosexual girls. A better understanding of the explanatory mechanisms of this disparity is needed to inform prevention and intervention programs. The goal of this study was to conduct a preliminary test of a "stress-negative affect" pathway by examining gay-related victimization and depression as mediators of substance use among SMGs. Adolescent girls (N = 156, 41% SMGs) were recruited from two urban adolescent medicine clinics to participate in an NIH-funded study of adolescent substance use. The average age was 17.0 years old and 57% were nonwhite. Mediation analyses were conducted in a multiple regression framework using SPSS and a mediation macro utilizing bias-corrected bootstrapping. Four models were estimated to test mediated pathways from sexual orientation to gay-related victimization (Mediator 1), to depression symptoms (Mediator 2), and then to each of four substance use variables: cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol, and heavy alcohol use. Significant mediated pathways (mediation tests with 95% CIs) were found for cigarette, alcohol and heavy alcohol use outcome variables. Results provide preliminary support for the minority stress hypothesis and the stress-negative affect pathway, and may inform the development of future prevention and intervention programs.

Sexual minority-related victimization as a mediator of mental health disparities in sexual minority youth: a longitudinal analysis.

Sexual minority youth (youth who are attracted to the same sex or endorse a gay/lesbian/bisexual identity) report significantly higher rates of depression and suicidality than heterosexual youth. The minority stress hypothesis contends that the stigma and discrimination experienced by sexual minority youth create a hostile social environment that can lead to chronic stress and mental health problems. The present study used longitudinal mediation models to directly test sexual minority-specific victimization as a potential explanatory mechanism of the mental health disparities of sexual minority youth. One hundred ninety-seven adolescents (14-19 years old; 70 % female; 29 % sexual minority) completed measures of sexual minority-specific victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality at two time points 6 months apart. Compared to heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth reported higher levels of sexual minority-specific victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Sexual minority-specific victimization significantly mediated the effect of sexual minority status on depressive symptoms and suicidality. The results support the minority stress hypothesis that targeted harassment and victimization are partly responsible for the higher levels of depressive symptoms and suicidality found in sexual minority youth. This research lends support to public policy initiatives that reduce bullying and hate crimes because reducing victimization can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of sexual minority youth.

Menstrual suppression in the adolescent.

Menstrual suppression, the use of contraceptive methods to eliminate or decrease the frequency of menses, is often prescribed for adolescents to treat menstrual disorders or to accommodate patient preference. For young women using hormonal contraceptives, there is no medical indication for menstruation to occur monthly, and various hormonal contraceptives can be used to decrease the frequency of menstruation with different side effect profiles and rates of amenorrhea. This article reviews the different modalities for menstrual suppression, common conditions in adolescents which may improve with menstrual suppression, and strategies for managing common side effects.

The management of menstrual suppression and uterine bleeding: a survey of current practices in the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend the use of combined hormonal contraceptive pills for menstrual suppression in pediatric blood and marrow transplant (BMT) recipients but recent research reveals that provider practice varies. This study was designed to describe the current practice for managing menstrual issues, that is, menstrual suppression and uterine bleeding, in pediatric BMT patients and to better understand health care providers' practices in the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa). PROCEDURE: A cross sectional survey consisting of 53 questions was distributed via email to principal investigators in the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC). Responses were collected using www.surveymonkey.com. RESULTS: Menstrual suppression and uterine bleeding in pediatric BMT patients are primarily managed by pediatric oncologists (97%). The most frequently reported hormonal method used for induction of therapeutic amenorrhea was GnRHa (41%). The top three reasons for choosing a method were greater likelihood of amenorrhea, concerns about side effects, and possible gonadal protection. Continuous combined hormonal contraceptive pills were the most commonly used method for the management of clinically significant uterine bleeding regardless of primary method used for menstrual suppression. CONCLUSION: Despite the 2002 PBMTC guidelines, wide variation in menstrual suppression management practices still exists. Our data show that use of GnRHa is more common than previously reported. Additional research is needed to develop evidence-based practice guidelines in pediatric BMT patients.