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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Dec;61(6):786-790.
doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.07.021. Epub 2017 Oct 19.

Texting to Increase Contraceptive Initiation Among Adolescents in the Emergency Department

Lauren S Chernick  1 , Melissa S Stockwell  2 , Mengfei Wu  3 , Paula M Castaño  4 , Rebecca Schnall  5 , Carolyn L Westhoff  6 , John Santelli  2 , Peter S Dayan  7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Texting to Increase Contraceptive Initiation Among Adolescents in the Emergency Department

Lauren S Chernick et al. J Adolesc Health. 2017 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a text messaging intervention to increase contraception among adolescent emergency department patients.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial of sexually active females aged 14-19 receiving 3 months of theory-based, unidirectional educational and motivational texts providing reproductive health information versus standardized discharge instructions. Blinded assessors measured contraception initiation via telephone follow-up and health record review at 3 months.

Results: We randomized 100 eligible participants (predominantly aged 18-19, Hispanic, and with a primary provider); 88.0% had follow-up. In the intervention arm, 3/50 (6.0%) participants opted out, and 1,172/1,654 (70.9%) texts were successfully delivered; over 90% of message failures were from one mobile carrier. Most (36/41; 87.7%) in the intervention group liked and wanted future reproductive health messages. Contraception was initiated in 6/50 (12.0%) in the intervention arm and in 11/49 (22.4%) in the control arm.

Conclusions: A pregnancy prevention texting intervention was feasible and acceptable among adolescent females in the emergency department setting.

Keywords: Contraception; Pregnancy in adolescence; Reproductive health; Text messaging.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) diagram. *Two participants who did not receive any of the texts messages in the intervention group were also lost to follow-up.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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