Search

Copyright of British Medical Journal - Edición Española is the property of Grupo ARS XXI de Comunicacion, S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Background: The primary objective of the study was to describe contraceptive use, reasons for discontinuation of contraception and pregnancy outcome in three generations of female teenagers over a period of 20 years. The secondary objective was to describe the relationship between contraception, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic status (SES). Study Design: A cross-sectional comparison of 19-year-old women born in 1962, 1972 and 1982 and living in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1981, 1991 and 2001 was conducted. Contraceptive use, pregnancy outcome, smoking and weight/height were assessed by a postal questionnaire. Results: Current contraceptive use was unchanged between the 62 (60%) and 72 cohorts (62%) but had increased (p<.01) in the 82 cohort (78%); there was no difference in contraceptive use between SES groups at any time. Condom use alone increased over time (p<.01), and the use of oral contraception and a condom together had increased in the 72 and 82 cohorts compared to the 62 cohort (p<.01). Reasons given for using and discontinuing oral contraceptives in three generations of teenagers were studied over 20 years. In addition to contraception, oral contraception was used to reduce dysmenorrhea and heavy bleeding. Discontinuation due to bleeding disturbances decreased (p<.01) over time, whereas discontinuation due to mental side effects increased (p<.01). The percentage of women who had been pregnant at ≤19 years of age in the 82 cohort (7%) was lower (p<.01) than in the 1962 (11%) and 1972 (13%) cohorts. However, there was a successive increase (p<.001) in the percentage of women who had been pregnant more than once at ≤19 years of age (1962/1972/1982: pregnant more than once, 8%/21%/31%). Smoking decreased over time (p<.01) and was no longer related to SES in the 82 cohort. BMI increased (p<.01) over time. There was no difference in BMI between SES groups in the 62 and 72 cohorts but was higher in the low-SES group in the 82 cohort compared to the middle (p<.01) and high (p<.05) SES groups. Conclusions: Contraceptive use was higher in the 82 cohort where there was a corresponding reduction in the percentage of women who had been pregnant at ≤19 years of age compared with the 62 and 72 cohorts. Discontinuation of oral contraception due to mental side effects increased over time. The prevalence of smoking decreased and BMI increased, and there were changes in smoking prevalence and BMI in the different SES groups over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The incidence of chlamydia in Göteborg, the second largest city in Sweden, increased by 81 percent between 1995 and 2001. The majority (82%) of men and women diagnosed with chlamydia were aged 15-29 years. The incidence of chlamydia was higher among teenagers from areas of lower socio-economic index during the first years of the study but after 1995 there was no difference between low and high socio-economic groups. Chlamydia tests were taken three times more often in women than men. Analysis of original data from the Swedish survey of sexual behaviour 1996 demonstrated a strong correlation between the number of sexual partners and STD. Strategies for preventing the spread of chlamydia should be to a greater extent directed towards men and include better accessibility for men to STD clinics as well as a general improvement in contact tracing. The general public should be informed about the fact that chlamydia infections do not always give symptoms and may lead to infertility. Campaigns about condom use in order to avoid chlamydia, HIV-infection and other STD are needed.