ACCESS (adolescent capacity for contraceptive self screening) project
Contraception
Awarded 2016
Large Research Grants
Mary Ott, MD, MA
Indiana University
$250,000

Adolescent pregnancy prevention is a public health priority. Most adolescents rely on condoms, with fewer using effective hormonal methods, such as combined oral contraceptive pills (COCs). One reason is that hormonal methods other than emergency contraception (EC) require a provider visit, a barrier for adolescents who may not have transportation, may not have money, or may want to keep their sexual behavior and contraceptive use confidential. Over-the-counter availability and pharmacist prescribing of combined oral contraceptive pill (OTC-COC) addresses these barriers. Our specific aims are: 1. To describe adolescents’ ability to self-screen for COC contraindications, and to examine predictors of the ability to self-screen including age, health literacy, socioeconomic status, sexual experience, and experience with contraceptives. 2. To describe adolescents’ capacity to consent to COCs after a pharmacist prescribing process, using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment, then to examine predictors of the ability to consent, including age, health literacy, socioeconomic status, sexual experience, and experience with contraceptives.