NEW AAP Policy Statement on Adolescent Contraception: How Ohio AAP will Help You Improve Reproductive Health Outcomes

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently updated their policy statement on contraception for adolescents and highlighted the concern that many teens may not be aware of contraception options including LARCs.

Read AAP Reproductive Health Policy Statement Here

Primary care pediatricians and providers are in a unique position to improve reproductive health outcomes in adolescents given the many ways we influence adolescent health and our strong, trusting relationships with teens and their families.  Essential healthcare for adolescents includes effective comprehensive contraception counseling, potential use of contraception for contraception needs or common adolescent menstrual disorders, sexual health education and improving access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) options in the adolescents’ primary care home.  That essential healthcare – and more – are even more potent when delivered in pediatric and primary care clinics that foster an adolescent-friendly culture that continues to be a welcoming space for teens and their families throughout their pediatric life as part of their medical home.

As clinicians, we can always benefit from support in improving the quality of that counseling to best meet the needs of adolescents and ways to decrease access barriers for teens by providing LARC placement in primary care clinics and/or easing the referral process for placements.  And luckily, the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is here to help!

The Ohio AAP will provide practice coaching support to assist primary care providers in:

• Improving and increasing comprehensive contraception counseling at adolescent visits
• Training providers in Nexplanon insertion/removal and fostering provider confidence and proficiency in that new skill through tailored support for both providers and clinic staff
• Creating and implementing a Nexplanon placement process for primary care clinics in addition to integrating comprehensive reproductive counseling workflows into their busy clinic settings
• Tailoring services to best meet the needs of your adolescent population in a financially-sustainable way
• Improving the referral process for LARCs that are not available in the primary care clinic (i.e. IUDs or complex Nexplanon needs)
• Enhancing adolescent care and adolescent-friendly culture, through clinic-wide education and support
• Data collection and clinic-specific feedback, including 3-years of post-QI program sustainability data (2021, 2022, 2023)
• Obtaining MOC IV QI credit, as well as CME/MOC II credit for providers and nursing staff

We would love to work together with your practice on this important work.  Spots are limited as we plan to launch the work in the Fall of 2020.  Please contact Kristen Fluitt – Program Manager, for more information or to enroll at kfluitt@ohioaap.org or call 614-846-6258.

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