St. Louis teen pregnancy rate dropped dramatically in association with the CHOICE project.
Teen pregnancy poses significant costs to society. The St. Louis Contraceptive CHOICE project was a prospective cohort study designed to evaluate the effects of providing counseling encouraging intrauterine and subdermal contraception as well as same-day, cost-free access to participants' contraceptive of choice. Among 1404 teens (age range, 15–19), 37% chose intrauterine devices (IUDs) and 36% chose implants.
Between 2008 and 2013, pregnancy and birth rates in these adolescent CHOICE participants were one fifth the national rates for sexually experienced teens, and the resulting abortion rate was less than a quarter of the national rate. Racial disparities in teen pregnancy were virtually eliminated by this intervention.
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPlanned Parenthood Federation of America
Grant/Research SupportSociety of Family Planning; California Department of Public Health Tobacco Control Program
Editorial BoardsContraception; Journal of General Internal Medicine
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCouncil Member, Society of General Internal Medicine
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPlanned Parenthood Federation of America
Grant/Research SupportSociety of Family Planning; California Department of Public Health Tobacco Control Program
Editorial BoardsContraception; Journal of General Internal Medicine
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCouncil Member, Society of General Internal Medicine