Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Steiner, Riley J.
• Zapata, Lauren B.
• Curtis, Kathryn M.
• Whiteman, Maura K.
• Brittain, Anna W.
• Tromble, Erin
• Keys, Katherine R.
• Fasula, Amy M.

Titel

COVID-19 and Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: Findings From Primary Care Providers Who Serve Adolescents

Ist Teil von

• Journal of adolescent health, 2021-09, Vol.69 (3), p.375-382

Ort / Verlag

New York: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Among U.S. primary care physicians who delivered sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to adolescents before the COVID-19 pandemic, we examine (1) changes in availability of in-person SRH services; (2) changes in accessibility and utilization of SRH services; and (3) use of strategies to support provision of SRH services during the pandemic. Data were from the DocStyles provider survey administered September–October 2020. Descriptive analyses were restricted to family practitioners, internists, and pediatricians whose main work setting was outpatient and whose practice provided family planning or sexually transmitted infection services to ≥ one patient aged 15–19 years per week just before the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 791). Among physicians whose practices provided intrauterine device/implant placement/removal or clinic-based sexually transmitted infection testing before the COVID-19 pandemic, 51% and 36% indicated disruption of these services during the pandemic, respectively. Some physicians also reported reductions in walk-in hours (38%), evening/weekend hours (31%), and adolescents seeking care (43%) in the past month. At any point during the pandemic, 61% provided contraception initiation/continuation and 44% provided sexually transmitted infection services via telehealth. Among these physicians, about one-quarter reported confidentiality concerns with telehealth in the past month. There were small increases or no changes in other strategies to support contraceptive care. Findings suggest disruption of certain SRH services and issues with access because of the pandemic among primary care providers who serve adolescents. There are opportunities to enhance implementation of confidential telehealth services and other service delivery strategies that could help promote adolescent SRH in the United States.