Model of effective contraceptive counseling on campus.

Abstract

Abstract Why does contraception fail? In 1978, 55% of all pregnancies in the United States were unintended! This overwhelming problem of birth control failure has also affected the college coed. In addition to information on available contraceptive methods, what should effective counseling by the college health care provider consist of to alleviate this problem? Just as there are guidelines on the use of each contraceptive method, there must also be guidelines on how to effectively counsel a student about the methods available. Effective vs. noneffective contraceptive use was studied at Rutgers University by comparing women who experienced birth control failure to those who did not, while using the same method. It was found that for a woman to be motivated to effectively and efficiently use her contraceptive method, she must be satisfied with its esthetic properties, trust its effectiveness, and be comfortable with its safety. Counseling that instills fear into women that their method will cause bodily ha...