Intern Reflections - Shyann Stewart, NCCU

Shyann Stewart from North Carolina Central University shares reflections on what she learned during her internship with MCI in this blog post.

Unplanned pregnancies account for 45 percent of all pregnancies in the United States. In many of those cases, women were either taking ineffective birth control or not utilizing any birth control at all. Annually, approximately 700 women die in the United States as a result of pregnancy and childbirth complications, making it one of the highest rates in developed nations. Maternal mortality, like infant mortality and life expectancy, is seen as a key measure of a country's health and a bellwether indicator for assessing both human rights and public health.The purpose of this project is to create health promotion materials based on African American women’s perceived risk of maternal mortality, their contraceptive preferences and willingness to use male contraceptive methods.

After conducting a literature review, I furthered my research by distributing a survey to my target population asking about their experiences with their current contraceptive methods, their views on maternal mortality, and their willingness to use novel male contraceptives when they become available. The survey was distributed to black women who attend North Carolina Central University. There were a total of 24 participants, whose ages ranged from 20-29.

Here is some data I gathered from my results:

• When asked about the potential relationship between women’s health outcomes and male contraceptives, 91% of respondents believe that increased contraceptive options for men will improve women's health outcomes. This data demonstrates the confidence that the participants have in novel male contraceptives and their willingness to trust their male partners to use novel male contraceptives when they become available.
• When asked about their current contraceptive, 89% of participants said they had or knew someone who had a negative experience with contraception.This data highlights the negative experiences of respondents current contraceptive methods and adds to the conversation of novel male contraceptives being an alternative when it becomes available.
• When asked about unintended pregnancy, 60% of respondents believe that male contraceptives could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. This demonstrates that respondents believe novel male contraceptives have the potential to reduce unintended pregnancy rates and can reflect demand for novel male contraceptives.
• When asked about their perceived risk of unintended pregnancy, participants expressed concern about having one. Here's a response we received: "I was really worried about unintended pregnancy in high school. My periods were irregular before I got on birth control, so there was no way for me to know if I was pregnant unless I took a test. Just about every month of my senior year in high school, I was taking a test. I was always on edge.” The introduction of novel male contraceptives may alleviate the anxiety associated with an unintended pregnancy by providing an additional layer of protection.

I was really worried about unintended pregnancy in high school. My periods were irregular before I got on birth control, so there was no way for me to know if I was pregnant unless I took a test. Just about every month of my senior year in high school, I was taking a test. I was always on edge.

We concluded from the survey that respondents were open to their partners using novel contraceptives. With the information gathered and the health promotion materials developed, we hope that respondents will include novel male contraceptives in their family planning discussions. When it comes to unintended pregnancy, novel male contraceptives can provide an additional barrier of protection. And, because unintended pregnancy is related to maternal mortality, we hope to see a decrease in both rates as well as an improvement in women's health outcomes.