November 2019: Power Updates Edition
There are plenty of articles, publications, and stories published every month. In an effort to help you distinguish fact from fiction, save time in your already busy day, and share news you may not have otherwise seen, here are six stories from the last month we thought you might find interesting:
Birth Control
Black and Latinx women age 18-20 have especially high rates of unplanned pregnancy and are less likely than their peers to receive information on pregnancy prevention in school. This study tested the effectiveness of a new app-based pregnancy prevention program created specifically for this population. It found that those who used the app reported that they felt more confident to use birth control every time they had sex.
Abortion
Crisis pregnancy centers often provide biased, limited information intended to persuade pregnant people from getting an abortion. In this paper the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology lay out their support for six positions aimed at curbing unethical crisis pregnancy center practices.
Pregnancy and Birth
This paper examined disparities in planned pregnancy among women age 15-24 in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Using newly collected state health department data on rural and urban adolescent births and abortions, the authors were unable to draw solid conclusions and recommend future research explore access to family planning and abortion services in these areas.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Many people with substance use disorders only receive medical care through opioid treatment programs. Currently many of these programs believe that providing reproductive health care is outside their scope of service. This paper lays out an argument against this line of thought.
This guide provides information on sexuality and sex education for people on the autism spectrum age 15 and older. It uses written articles and short videos to teach concepts and then tests users’ understanding.
This study examined whether ACA provision, allowing young adults age 26 and under to stay on their parents’ insurance, was associated with any changes in this population’s use of sexual and reproductive health services. It found that while the provision is associated with a significant decrease in uninsured young adults, there was no effect on utilization of services.