FAMILY-PLANNING-SERVICES IN DEVON, UK - AWARENESS, EXPERIENCE AND ATTITUDES OF PREGNANT TEENAGERS

A survey of 167 pregnant teenagers in Devon attending either antenatal booking clinics or for NHS termination of pregnancy was carried out t o determine their awareness and experience of, and attitudes to, famil y planning services in Devon. The majority (92 per cent) of teenagers admitted using contraceptives prior to their pregnancy, and nearly all teenagers knew where to obtain contraceptives and contraceptive advic e. Two thirds had become pregnant whilst using condoms as their method of contraception. General practitioners (GPs) were the principal prov iders of contraceptive advice, with twice as many teenagers (60 per ce nt) having seen a GP about contraception compared to family planning c linics (30 per cent). The majority of teenagers had received contracep tives from family planning clinics and GPs and, overall, there was a h igh level of satisfaction with the service. Once accessible services f or teenagers exist, there is still the need to deliver an acceptable a nd equitable service. Specific criticisms from teenagers included a ne ed for assured confidentiality, improvements in approachability of sta ff and the quality of service offered, and, for family planning clinic s, a need for improved privacy, and better advertising and accessibili ty. Teenagers' high awareness of, use of, and contact with, local serv ices implies that the majority of cases of teenage pregnancy in this s tudy resulted from risk-taking behaviour and errors in the use of cont raceptives. Both service and non-service issues need to be addressed i f there is to be a reduction in the incidence of teenage pregnancy in Devon.