Reducing Unintended Pregnancies Through Web-Based Reproductive Life Planning and Contraceptive Action Planning among Privately Insured Women: Study Protocol for the MyNewOptions Randomized, Controlled Trial

Womens Health Issues. 2015 Nov-Dec;25(6):641-8. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2015.06.010. Epub 2015 Aug 22.

Abstract

Background: The Affordable Care Act mandates that most women of reproductive age with private health insurance have full contraceptive coverage with no out-of-pocket costs, creating an actionable time for women to evaluate their contraceptive choices without cost considerations. The MyNewOptions study is a three-arm, randomized, controlled trial testing web-based interventions aimed at assisting privately insured women with making contraceptive choices that are consistent with their reproductive goals.

Methods: Privately insured women between the ages of 18 and 40 not intending pregnancy were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) a reproductive life planning (RLP) intervention, 2) a reproductive life planning enriched with contraceptive action planning (RLP+) intervention, or 3) an information only control group. Both the RLP and RLP+ guide women to identify their individualized reproductive goals and contraceptive method requirements. The RLP+ additionally includes a contraceptive action planning component, which uses if-then scenarios that allow the user to problem solve situations that make it difficult to be adherent to their contraceptive method. All three groups have access to a reproductive options library containing information about their contraceptive coverage and the attributes of alternative contraceptive methods. Women completed a baseline survey with follow-up surveys every 6 months for 2 years concurrent with intervention boosters. Study outcomes include contraceptive use and adherence. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02100124.

Discussion: Results from the MyNewOptions study will demonstrate whether web-based reproductive life planning, with or without contraceptive action planning, helps insured women make patient-centered contraceptive choices compared with an information-only control condition.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Contraception / methods*
  • Contraception Behavior / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Promotion
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Patient Compliance
  • Patient Education as Topic*
  • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / economics
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Unplanned*
  • Pregnancy, Unwanted*
  • Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Reproductive Health / education*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02100124