subjects endorsing family use of FTM were 8.4 times more likely touse (95% CI � 2.6–26.5). Insurance status, socioeconomic status andhaving a personal healthcare provider were not significantlyrelated to FTM use.Conclusions: FTM use in our study population was approxi-mately half the reported rate among Hispanic adults. The infre-quent use of harmful herbs and traditional healers reported in ourstudy suggests that safety concerns, while present, are less thatinitially suspected. The lack of a relationship between healthcareaccess variables and FTM use suggest that access to care is not amotivator for use. The increased self-treatment with FTM byunaccompanied dissatisfied subjects, paired with high rates ofnon-disclosure due to lack of inquiry by healthcare providerssuggests that, while care is available, it is not culturally sensitive.Health care providers need to inquire routinely about FTM use inall Mexican/Mexican-American adolescents as attention to cul-tural beliefs and practices has been shown to improved compli-ance, clinical outcomes, and satisfaction with care.

SELF-TREATMENT PATTERNS AMONG ADOLESCENTGIRLS WITH MODERATE OR SEVERE PRIMARYDYSMENORRHEAAnne Davis, M.D., Katharine O’Connell, M.D.,Nancy Gallagher, B.S., and Carolyn Westhoff, M.D. Department ofObstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, NewYork, NY.

Purpose: Most adolescent girls experience dysmenorrhea, and15% describe it as severe. Dysmenorrhea also causes schoolabsence and activity restriction. Our purpose was to describeself-treatment patterns among a diverse sample of adolescentswith moderate or severe dysmenorrhea.Methods: Baseline data were collected via interview from subjectsat the time of enrollment in a clinical trial. Healthy adolescent girls19 years of age or younger with moderate to severe primarydysmenorrhea were recruited for a randomized trial of oralcontraceptives vs. placebo at a single urban medical center.Interview data were collected prior to any intervention and includeddetailed information on demographics, dysmenorrhea severity, andusual self-treatment. Dysmenorrhea was defined as moderate ifconsistently very painful, and severe if also causing activityrestriction. Girls using hormonal contraception were excluded.Results: Seventy-six subjects were interviewed. The mean age was16.8 years (range 11–19). Fifty-three percent of subjects wereHispanic, 26% were white and 11% were black. Ninety-fourpercent had completed eighth grade, 45% were high schoolgraduates, and 17% had some college education.

Dysmenorrhea was moderate in 42% and severe in 58%. Sub-jects reported a median two days of severe pain; 12% reportedfour or more days of severe pain. Using a one to ten scale, onaverage subjects rated the usual intensity of their worst pain as 8.6.Of the subjects currently in school, 46% reported usually missingone or more days every month due to menstrual pain. Subjectsreported numerous coping strategies for dysmenorrhea. Theseincluded discussing their pain with someone, including theirmother (84%), friend (67%), doctor (37%) or nurse (22%). Thosewith severe dysmenorrhea were no more likely to seek medicalcare than those with moderate pain (p � 0.7). Nearly all subjectsused non-pharmacological remedies: 84% stay in bed or sleep,75% take a hot bath, 50% use a heating pad, 47% watch televisionor try to distract themselves, and 30% exercise. Ninety percentreported using over-the-counter (OTC) medication, and 21% re-ported using prescription medication. The most common OTC

medications used were ibuprofen (54%), acetaminophen (41%),Midol (28%), and naproxen (17%). Thirty-nine percent of subjectsreported using two types of OTC medication, and 16% used threetypes (but not simultaneously). Most subjects were unsure of thedose used (53%), and took fewer than the recommended numberof pills for pain.Conclusions: This diverse group of adolescents with moderateand severe dysmenorrhea reported high morbidity due to pain.Nearly all used non-pharmacological treatments and OTC medi-cations. Most did not seek formal medical care and used medica-tions in an inconsistent and subtherapeutic fashion.

MEDICATION ADHERENCE AMONG ADOLESCENTS INA SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERNicole Marie Charlebois, Pharm.D. Candidate,Jane Holl, M.D. M.P.H., Munisha Mehra, M.D., andCynthia Mears, D.O. Arai School-Based Health Center, Arai MiddleSchool, Chicago, IL.

Purpose: This study was to assess rates of medication adherenceamong adolescents receiving prescriptions from a school-basedhealth center, to identify major barriers contributing to medicationnon-adherence.Methods: Study utilized a retrospective questionnaire study de-sign. All students enrolled in the school-based health center werereviewed for study eligibility. Eligibility criteria included: age �10years, ability to read and write English, and parental consent, asevidenced by the absence of a signed parent refusal form. Eligiblestudents receiving a prescription from health center were invitedto return the following week to fill out a brief questionnaireregarding medication adherence. Questionnaires were adminis-tered during the students’ lunch period upon obtaining verbalassent from the students. Questions assessed students’ knowledgeof their medication regimen, ability to get the prescription filled ata pharmacy, medication taking behavior, adherence with theregimen, and reasons for non-adherence. Once students com-pleted the questionnaire, their answers were reviewed one-on-onewith the study administrator to clarify answers and to address anyadditional student concerns. Brief medication counseling was alsoprovided at this time. Completed questionnaires were then en-tered into a database for subsequent analysis at the end of the datacollection period. Primary outcome measures included: correctidentification of medication name and indication, medication fillrates, medication initiation rates, regimen adherence rates, andreasons for non-adherence.Results: 81 students completed a medication adherence question-naire. 66 students (81.5%) were able to report the indication fortheir medication, 16 students (19.8%) were able to recall themedication name. 45 students (55.6%) got their prescription filled.Reasons for not filling the prescription included: lost prescription(11.1%), unable to get to a drug store (11.1%), unable to pay for themedication (2.5%), forgot to go to the drug store (7.4%), though themedication was not needed (6.2%). Of the students who did filltheir prescriptions, 34 (75.6%) reported that they always took theirmedication at the appropriate time, 10 (22.2%) claimed that theysometimes forgot to take their medications, and 1 (2.2%) nevertook the medication due to inability to swallow pills. Amongstudents who did fill prescriptions, many discrepancies existedbetween medication taking behavior and the instructions writtenon the original prescription. 10 students (22.2%) were taking theirmedication too few times a day, 3 students (6.7%) were takingtheir medication too many times a day. 2 students (4.4%) were

134 CLINICAL AND RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATIONS JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH Vol. 34, No. 2