Biomedical subjects

Alison Purcell

Publications and source records attributed to Alison Purcell.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Adolescents' reports of parental knowledge of adolescents' use of sexual health services and their reactions to mandated parental notification for prescription contraception.

CONTEXT: Legislation has been proposed that would mandate parental notification for adolescents younger than 18 years (minors) obtaining prescription contraception from federally funded family planning clinics. OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which parents are currently aware that their teenage daughters are accessing reproductive health services and how minors would react in the face of mandated parental involvement laws for prescription birth control. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1526 female adolescents younger than 18 years seeking reproductive health services at a national sample of 79 family planning clinics were surveyed between May 2003 and February 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions of minor females who reported that a parent or guardian was aware that they were at the family planning clinic and, under conditions of mandated parental involvement, proportions of minors who would access prescription contraceptives at family planning clinics or engage in unsafe sex. RESULTS: Sixty percent of minors reported that a parent or guardian knew they were accessing sexual health services at the clinic. Fifty-nine percent of all adolescents would use the clinic for prescription contraception even if parental notification were mandated. This response was less common (29.5%) among adolescents whose parents were unaware of their clinic visits and more common (79%) among those whose parents were aware. Many adolescents gave more than 1 response to mandated parental involvement. Forty-six percent would use an over-the-counter method, and 18% would go to a private physician. Seven percent said that they would stop having sex as one response, but only 1% indicated this would be their only reaction. One in 5 adolescents would use no contraception or rely on withdrawal as one response to mandated notification. CONCLUSIONS: Most minor adolescent females seeking family planning services report that their parents are aware of their use of services. Most would continue to use clinic services if parental notification were mandated. However, mandated parental notification laws would likely increase risky or unsafe sexual behavior and, in turn, the incidence of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Parent-child relations among minor females attending U.S. family planning clinics.

CONTEXT: Relatively little is known about parent-child relations among minor females who use family planning clinics. Such information could inform the debate on parental involvement legislation and help clinics develop effective strategies to promote positive parental engagement. METHODS: Self-administered surveys were completed in 2003-2004 by 1,526 women younger than 18 attending 79 U.S. family planning clinics, providing measures of parent-child relations, perceived parental attitudes toward sex and birth control, and parental knowledge of the clinic visit. Associations between relationships with parents and parental knowledge of clinic visits were examined using t tests and logistic regression. RESULTS: Many adolescents had talked to parents about sexual issues (50-80%, depending on the topic) and reported high levels of connectedness with parents (68%). A substantial minority (19%) perceived that parents disapprove of their both having sex and using birth control. The majority (60%) reported that a parent knew of their clinic visit; such reports were most common among those who had high levels of connectedness to parents and communication with parents about sexual issues, and those who did not perceive parents to disapprove of sex and birth control. Adolescents aged 15 and younger were more likely than 17-year-olds to indicate that a parent knew they were at the clinic and to report that a parent suggested the clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, minors attending family planning clinics have good relations with parents. The youngest adolescents may be at family planning clinics specifically because parents are involved in their reproductive health decisions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Cochlear implants and infants: expectations and outcomes.

This study followed the communication and motor development of 3 profoundly deaf infants who underwent cochlear implantation. All infants were receiving auditory habilitation at the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre, Australia, with the view to acquiring oral language skills and had English-speaking, hearing parents. Their progress was tracked with a battery of measurement tools before and after cochlear implantation. The results indicated noticeable growth in receptive language and motor skills after operation. Although expressive language improved, the rate of growth was much slower than changes in other areas. Although some areas of the subjects' communication skills remained delayed, the importance of tracking their progress according to their hearing age, as well as the chronological age, was evident.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The availability and use of publicly funded family planning clinics: U.S. trends, 1994-2001.

CONTEXT: It is important to monitor trends among publicly funded family planning clinics to determine where clinics are successfully meeting the contraceptive service needs of low-income women and where more effort is needed. METHODS: Service data for all U.S. agencies and clinics providing subsidized family planning services were collected for 2001 and compared with similar data collected for 1997 and 1994. Trends reflecting clinic structure and capacity were analyzed at the national and state levels. Client numbers were compared with numbers of women needing publicly funded contraceptive services to create a measure of met need for states and groups of states, according to Medicaid family planning waiver status. RESULTS: In 2001, some 7,683 publicly funded family planning clinics provided contraceptive services to 6.7 million women-representing an 8% rise in clinics and a 2% increase in clients since 1994. Change varied by type of provider and clinic location. Health departments and Planned Parenthood affiliates served more clients at fewer sites; community health centers served fewer clients at more sites. One-third of states experienced growth in clinic capacity, with 5-65% increases in met need. In another third of states, met need declined by 5% or more. States with income-based Medicaid family planning waivers served 24% more clients, with met need increasing from 40% to 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Among states, there has been tremendous variation in the ability of publicly funded family planning clinics to serve women. Implementation of income-based Medicaid family planning waivers in some states was associated with clinics' serving greater numbers of women. Further efforts are needed to ensure access to family planning services for low-income women in every state.

Community Health Centers↗