Predictors of LARC Use in High School Adolescent Females in the UnitedStates

Teen pregnancy is a major public health problem in the United States of America. Among many contraceptive methods, long acting reversible contraception (LARC) is popular and effective. However, there was no adequate research study performed to show if minority teenagers are less likely to use LARC. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between adolescent sexual behavior and activity and the use of LARC in females, ages 14 to 19, in high schools across the United States. The theoretical framework used for this study was the health belief model. The study population was 1,496 White, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino adolescent females, ages 14 to 19 years, who attended public and private schools in the United States and who participated in the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A univariate analysis was performed to describe study sample demographic characteristics. A bivariate analysis was conducted to determine whether there was any association between the independent variables and the dependent variable. Finally, a binary logistic regression was conducted to find an association between race and LARC usage. No statistically significant relationship between race and LARC usage was found. However, there was a statistically significant relationship between LARC usage and multiple sex partners. Multiple sex partners were the only significant predictor of LARC usage; for each additional sex partner, the log-odds of someone not using LARC decreased by 0.23 units (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.69 – 0.87). The more sexual partners increased, the odds of LARC usage decreased. This study can contribute to positive social change by providing a framework to inform health providers with better counseling practices and strategies to engage sexually active African American and Hispanic females about LARC methods