Characteristics associated with contraceptive use among adolescent females in school-based family planning programs.

Among 162 young female family planning clients at four school-based health centers, a step-wise regression analysis shows that students' consistency of contraceptive use is associated with only a few specific service and provider characteristics. For example, clients who have more contacts with the family planning program use contraceptives more consistently than those with fewer contacts. On the other hand, young women whose follow-up visits are scheduled to occur within one month of their previous visit are less consistent contraceptive users than other clients. Contraceptive use is not related to whether contraceptives are dispensed on site, whether health education and counseling are provided by a health educator, whether contraceptive services are part of a comprehensive array of services that include medical or counseling services, or whether a family planning visit results in the dispensing of contraceptives or a prescription for contraceptives.