Practical approaches to prescribing contraception in the office setting.

Caring for the contraceptive needs of an adolescent young woman can be a challenge on many levels. Adolescents are often called young adults, but they are not adults developmentally. Therefore, adult strategies for contraceptive teaching, decision-making, and compliance are often inappropriate and unsuccessful. Health care providers are faced with increasing constraints in the office that can make it difficult to find the time to counsel the adolescent appropriately. Parental involvement in contraceptive decision making, compliance, and continuation will be different with each adolescent and her family. Although this interaction can be a problem, it is also an area where the clinician may make a positive impact for the adolescent and her family.