Emergency Contraception and Adolescents

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Program Concentration

Family Nurse Practitioner

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy continues to be a cause for concern in the United due to the economic and social burdens that transpire following an unintended teenage pregnancy. Emergency contraception (EC) is a critical tool in fighting this epidemic of unintended teenage pregnancies. Emergency contraception is readily available in the United States. However, to use EC individuals must be aware of its existence and how it can be accessed. This literature review investigates the current knowledge level of adolescents regarding EC and the strategies being used to impart knowledge to adolescents on this topic. The literature in the review was published between 2008 and 2018 in the United States. Three major databases were used: CINAHL, PubMed, and ERIC. The findings show that education for adolescents is lacking on many levels and many adolescents do not know about or understand EC. Current interventions are most commonly taking place in hospital and college settings. The role of the nurse practitioner is important in advancing the EC knowledge of adolescents to help combat teenage pregnancy rates. The lack of current research in the area of EC education for adolescents provides many avenues for future study. Keywords: emergency contraception, adolescent, teen pregnancy, patient education, nurse practitioner

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