Effect of a Brief Educational Intervention on the Attitudes of Young Women Toward the Intrauterine Device

Study Objective: The intrauterine device (IUD) is underused by young women, who are at high risk for unintended pregnancy. We aimed to assess the impact of a brief educational intervention on the attitudes of young women toward intrauterine contraception and to assess characteristics associated with a change in attitude. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a planned secondary analysis of a survey of 144 women, aged 14-24 years, which assessed attitudes toward the IUD. Intervention: The analysis was planned to fully examine the impact of a 3-minute educational intervention about the IUD given during administration of the survey, which included risks and benefits of IUD use, costs, side effects, and a demonstration of the IUD insertion and removal process. Main Outcome Measure: Proportions of participants with a positive attitude toward the IUD before and after the intervention were compared using McNemar's chi-square test for paired proportions. Factors associated with a change in attitude toward the IUD were evaluated using multivariable analysis. Results: Before the educational intervention, 14.7% (21/143) had both heard of the IUD and expressed a positive attitude toward it. After the intervention, this proportion increased to 53.8% (77/143) (P < .01). The increase in proportion with a positive attitude was consistent for all subpopulations. In multivariable analysis, the only significant predictor of a positive change in attitude toward the IUD was a history of voluntary sexual activity (adjusted odds ratio 10.3, 95% confidence interval 2.0-53.1). Conclusions: A brief educational intervention significantly improves the attitude of young sexually active women toward the IUD.