New Research Released at Annual Society for Adolescent Medicine Meeting Provides Vital Insights into Adolescent Hea...( BLUE SPRINGS Mo. March 10 /- New rese...),Health

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- New research being released at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) reveals significant results about how adolescents navigate their world and where their priorities lie. The theme of the meeting is "E-teens" and how teens incorporate technology into their personal health. Research presentations will address a variety of topics. SAM's meeting will take place in Los Angeles, March 25-28, 2009.

Following are five abbreviated news briefs regarding research being presented. The full briefs can be accessed at http://www.adolescenthealth.org/NewsRelease20090310.htm

1. DAILY TEXT MESSAGING TO IMPROVE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE USE

Although half of adolescents use oral contraceptives (OC) for birth control, they often misuse or discontinue them. The study "The Effect of Daily Text Message Reminders on Adolescent Oral Contraceptive Pill Continuation" examined whether OC continuation rates improve after 3 months of daily text message reminders. The study enrolled 26 adolescent girls who were obtaining OCs at an urban family planning clinic and found that daily text message reminders have the potential to improve OC continuation compared to previously observed OC continuation rates at 3 months.

2. HIV-INFECTED ADOLESCENTS WANT CARE PROVIDERS INVOLVED IN THEIR SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS LIVES

The study, "Will You Pray with Me? Do HIV-Infected Adolescents Want Their Care Providers Involved in Their Religious or Spiritual Lives?," studied 45 HIV-Infected and uninfected adolescents in an effort to understand the role spirituality and religion play in adolescents with and without HIV, and to examine the association between spirituality/religion and quality of life measures in these adolescents. The study found 93 percent of teens surveyed at an urb
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