A study published August 14, 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that 59% of teen-aged girls involved in the study would stop or delay using specific healthcare services if healthcare workers were required to notify thier parents about contraceptive prescriptions.

The vast majority of those who said they'd discontinue prescribed contraception if their parents were notified also said they'd continue having sex. "Ninety-nine percent said they'd remain sexually active - they'd either have unprotected sex, use condoms sporadically, or have their partner withdraw - not very safe behaviors," says Diane Reddy, associate professor and director of health psychology at UWM and lead author of the study.

The researchers surveyed sexually active girls under age 18 who visited 33 Wisconsin Planned Parenthood family planning clinics. The girls ranged in age from 12-17, though most were in the 16-17-year -old range, says Reddy. Of the 1118 girls contacted, 85 percent responded to the survey. An additional 256 girls were surveyed in 2001.

"The data clearly show you can't force kids to talk to their parents about sexual behavior. Teens will continue to be sexually active so there is always going to be a need for confidential healthcare for adolescents."

The UWM research was funded through grants from UWM's Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc.

parental notification and contraception

written on August 16, 2002