Counseling increases immediate postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) acceptability in Hispanic women.

OBJECTIVE

Determine if providing basic contraceptive counseling during prenatal visits increases pregnant Hispanic women's acceptance of immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC).

STUDY DESIGN

Respondents completed a short survey consisting of demographic information, an acculturation scale, and perceptions of immediate postpartum LARC use. After reading a brief educational excerpt on intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the subdermal contraceptive implant, LARC acceptability was reassessed. The study included 198 Hispanic women, ages 14 and older, in the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy receiving care at an academic practice along the United States-Mexico border in West Texas. Analysis was performed using a McNemar test, univariate and multivariable relative risk (RR) regression.

RESULTS

Prior to an educational intervention, 34.5% of respondents indicated that they were planning to use immediate postpartum LARC. Following the educational intervention, 74.5% of respondents indicated they would consider a postpartum LARC. The pre/post comparison on the intent to use postpartum LARC showed that a significant number of respondents changed their intention to use LARC after reading the educational intervention (RR= 2.54, p<0.0001). LARC acceptability was high among single women, those less than 25-years-old, women with current unintended pregnancies, and women using a contraceptive method that failed when they became pregnant.

CONCLUSION

In communities with a high proportion of Hispanic women, postpartum contraceptive counseling is crucial for patient education and family planning. When women are provided with brief, structured contraceptive counseling during prenatal visits, they are more willing to consider use of an immediate postpartum LARC for their future family planning.