TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to sexuality and family planning in adolescent women with and without diabetes
AU - Charron-Prochownik, Denise
AU - Sereika, Susan M.
AU - Falsetti, Donna
AU - Wang, Shiaw Ling
AU - Becker, Dorothy
AU - Jacober, Scott
AU - Mansfield, Joan
AU - White, Neil H.
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - Background: Sexually active adolescents with diabetes are at high risk for unplanned pregnancies and reproductive complications. Objective: Knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors regarding diabetes and reproductive issues, sexuality, and contraception were examined in teens with diabetes in relation to a non-diabetic group. Methods: A multisite, case-control, theory-based structured telephone interview was conducted on adolescent women: 80 with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 37 matched controls without diabetes (non-DM). Results: Teens with diabetes appeared to lack an understanding of critical information that could prevent unplanned pregnancies and pregnancy-related complications. Although they scored significantly higher than the non-DM group on diabetes-related information, the DM group had their lowest mean average of 59% for the diabetes and pregnancy score. They did not appear to have greater protective attitudes regarding reproductive health issues than the non-DM group. The DM group felt that they were only moderately susceptible to becoming pregnant and that severe complications would not happen to them. The DM group perceived greater severity to sex-related outcomes (p = 0.001). The DM group did not report safer and more effective family planning behaviors (mean age coitus = 15.7 yr), which for them could be more detrimental. Similar trends were noted between groups regarding contraceptive methods; only a single method (e.g., pill only) rather than a dual method (e.g., pill and condom) was most frequently used. Conclusion: Having diabetes did not appear to significantly decrease the risk-taking behavior of the teens. Early and some unsafe sexual practices may increase their risk for an unplanned pregnancy that could result in pregnancy-related complications. Enhancing awareness, knowledge, and attitudes through preconception counseling and reproductive health education may reduce these risks by empowering young women to plan healthy future pregnancies.
AB - Background: Sexually active adolescents with diabetes are at high risk for unplanned pregnancies and reproductive complications. Objective: Knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors regarding diabetes and reproductive issues, sexuality, and contraception were examined in teens with diabetes in relation to a non-diabetic group. Methods: A multisite, case-control, theory-based structured telephone interview was conducted on adolescent women: 80 with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 37 matched controls without diabetes (non-DM). Results: Teens with diabetes appeared to lack an understanding of critical information that could prevent unplanned pregnancies and pregnancy-related complications. Although they scored significantly higher than the non-DM group on diabetes-related information, the DM group had their lowest mean average of 59% for the diabetes and pregnancy score. They did not appear to have greater protective attitudes regarding reproductive health issues than the non-DM group. The DM group felt that they were only moderately susceptible to becoming pregnant and that severe complications would not happen to them. The DM group perceived greater severity to sex-related outcomes (p = 0.001). The DM group did not report safer and more effective family planning behaviors (mean age coitus = 15.7 yr), which for them could be more detrimental. Similar trends were noted between groups regarding contraceptive methods; only a single method (e.g., pill only) rather than a dual method (e.g., pill and condom) was most frequently used. Conclusion: Having diabetes did not appear to significantly decrease the risk-taking behavior of the teens. Early and some unsafe sexual practices may increase their risk for an unplanned pregnancy that could result in pregnancy-related complications. Enhancing awareness, knowledge, and attitudes through preconception counseling and reproductive health education may reduce these risks by empowering young women to plan healthy future pregnancies.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Birth control
KW - Diabetes
KW - Reproductive health
KW - Sexual activity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33750099163&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1399-5448.2006.00197.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1399-5448.2006.00197.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17054448
AN - SCOPUS:33750099163
SN - 1399-543X
VL - 7
SP - 267
EP - 273
JO - Pediatric Diabetes
JF - Pediatric Diabetes
IS - 5
ER -