Before 1998, students who visited school-based clinics received vouchers
they could redeem for free birth control at community clinics. Only 41
percent of students received all of the contraceptives they requested,
however, suggesting that many students were not using the vouchers.
To remedy this, Minneapolis school-based clinics began distributing birth
control directly to students in May 1998.
By 2000, 99 percent of the students received all of the contraceptives
they requested, according to Abbey Sidebottom, M.P.H., of the Minneapolis
Department of Health and Family Support and colleagues.
“Although we were unable to examine whether students used the contraceptives
they obtained, there is cause for optimism in light of evidence that improving
access to contraception increases actual rates of use among those who are
already sexually active,” Sidebottom and colleagues say.
Under the voucher system, only 21 percent of students received all the
condoms and 11 percent received all the oral contraceptives they requested.
All condom and oral contraceptive requests were fulfilled under the direct
distribution system in 2000.
The percentage of students requesting contraceptives — 11 percent — remained
steady between the two years.
“Previous research with adolescents has indicated that making contraceptives
accessible does not increase sexual activity among adolescents who weren’t
previously sexually active,” Sidebottom says. “The fact that
we did not see an increase in demand for contraceptives among the student
population at these schools seems to agree with these findings.”
A recent national survey of high school clinics found that 18 percent
directly dispense birth control pills and 28 percent dispense condoms.
“Our findings suggest that school-based clinics could go a step
further in reducing adolescents’ barriers to accessing contraceptives
by adopting an on-site direct delivery system,” Sidebottom and
colleagues say.
The study was supported by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family
Support.
