If you think teens are getting plenty of information about reproductive health in school, think again. Many offer limited sexual education that is focused on abstinence rather than medically accurate information and contraception information, noted Tracey A. Wilkinson, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, in her National Conference & Exhibition plenary.
Pediatricians are in a unique position to ensure their adolescent patients receive this information, but one-third do not provide it. Following are key resources Dr. Wilkinson shared to make reproductive health education easier for pediatricians:
- a one-page handout from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the effectiveness of various family planning methods, http://bit.ly/2kpoB4J;
- a CDC chart outlining medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, http://bit.ly/2wzBw5P;
- Title X family planning locator (by ZIP code), http://bit.ly/2yLZyeL;
- long-acting reversible contraceptives provider locator, http://larc.arhp.org/;
- Planned Parenthood Clinic Locator, https://www.plannedparenthood.org/;
- Bedsider Method Locator, https://www.bedsider.org/where_to_get_it; and
- a comprehensive site for teens about sexual orientation, health and more, http://stayteen.org.