PET Research - Health/Networks is published in a renowned American journal

The study “Low Knowledge of Contraceptive Methods Among Pregnant Teens in Brazil” conducted by students Fernanda Scoppetta Sampaio Alves, Marlene Quadro Souza and Samara Rezende Requião, under the guidance of professor Milena Bastos Brito, members of PET – Saúde/Redes da Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública, was recently published in the American journal Journal of Pediatric & Adolecent Gynecology.

The survey was conducted at the Institute of Perinatology of Bahia (Iperba) and assessed the level of knowledge of adolescents about contraceptive methods. Pregnant adolescents between 15 and 17 years old, who had prenatal care at the institution, were interviewed, being questioned about their knowledge of contraceptives; use of contraceptives before pregnancy; and contraceptive intentions to be used after pregnancy.

Among the 90 participating adolescents, the average age at first sexual intercourse was 13,8 years. Most participants were single (65%), of mixed race (63%), had a family income below the minimum wage (63%), lived together with their parents (60%), reported high school dropout rates (43 %) and unemployment (90%).
More than 80% of respondents said their pregnancy was unplanned due to irregularity or lack of contraceptive use. Most participants reported knowledge of condoms (91%), the combined oral contraceptive pill (83%) and injectable contraceptives (76%). However, less than half (42%) reported knowledge of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs), such as the IUD and implant. In terms of contraceptive intentions after pregnancy, the most cited methods were: injection (40%), intrauterine device (19%) and pill (10%).

The research then showed a low knowledge of contraceptive methods, especially of LARCs (the most effective contraceptives), among pregnant adolescents in Northeastern Brazil. Low socioeconomic status, high rates of unplanned pregnancy and high school dropout rates may be related factors, pointing to insufficient sexual and reproductive health counseling in this population. With this in mind, the group of researchers developed educational activities at the unit, in addition to receiving a donation of 20 contraceptive implants to be made available to adolescents who wished to use the method.

“After some time doing research, organizing data and writing the article, it's great to see our work being recognized! A research that was started during the internship at PET - Health/Networks at Bahiana and that brought many fruits to each one of us”, reports the 12th semester student of the Medicine course at Bahiana, Marlene Souza. She says that, in addition to experience and learning, participating in the research contributed to the completion of her Course Conclusion Paper (TCC). “This work brings very important data in our environment and that should be explored, as it shows the low knowledge about contraceptive methods among pregnant adolescents and the need to carry out good reproductive planning in our state”, says the student.

Also student of the 12th semester of the Medicine course at Bahiana, Fernanda Scoppetta highlights some achievements arising from the research. “The great results were the presentation of this research at the European Congress on Contraception and, after numerous reformulations, its publication in a renowned American magazine. It was an arduous collective work, from designing the project and collecting data to compiling the results and writing the dissertation, but it was developed with great dedication and love. Worth it."