Brief report: Influence of mandatory contraceptive education emphasizing long-acting reversible methods on continuation rates among military recruits

Abstract

Objectives: Determine if the replacement of patient-initiated, individual contraceptive education with mandatory group contraceptive education, during US Navy basic training, was associated with decreased LARC continuation.

Study design: Secondary analysis of administrative billing data from female military recruits who began basic training between September 2012 and February 2020.

Results: Servicewomen who started LARC method during rather than after basic training had higher continuation rates. Servicewomen who started training before the implementation of mandatory group education had higher IUD continuation than those trained after.

Conclusions: Implementation of mandatory group contraceptive education during basic training was not associated with a decline in LARC continuation.

Keywords: Contraceptive counseling; Female; Long-acting reversible contraception; Military.