Characteristics Associated with the Risk of Unintended Pregnancy Among Urban Homeless Women: Use of the Shuler Nurse Practitioner Practice Model in Research |
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| Authors: | Pamela A. Shuler DNSc CFNP Lillian Gelberg MD MSPH Jean E. Davis PhD RN |
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| Affiliation: | Director, Women's and Children's Health Services, Cherokee Indian Hospital, Cherokee, North Carolina;Assistant Professor, Division of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles;Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles |
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| Abstract: | In this pilot study, family planning practices and risk for unintended pregnancy among 50 homeless women residing in the downtown area of Los Angeles were investigated through the retrospective analysis of data collected through a wholistic clinic intake questionnaire. Those women who were least likely to use a birth control method in this study were Black, used cocaine daily, had multiple sources of emotional support, were satisfied with their sex lives, and reported access problems to family planning services ( p ≤ .05). Furthermore, over half of the total sample was at risk for unintended pregnancy. These at risk women were more likely to be separated from their children ( p ≤ .05), report current ( p ≤ .05) and past ( p ≤ .01) drug problems, have multiple sex partners ( p ≤ .001), engage in prostitution ( p ≤ .01), have a past history of sexually transmitted diseases ( p ≤ .05), and were least likely to be satisfied with their sex lives ( p ≤ .05). The findings suggest that homeless women are in great need of family planning health services, and that such services should be combined with vocational, social service, and drug treatment programs. |
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