Birth control study continues with help of MHCC

Mt. Hood Community College is currently working in partnership with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) to conduct a study on birth control in a community college setting.

The study was supposed to start last June, and recruiting would have gone on throughout Summer Term, but “given that all of the agreements were finalized just as we were going into the summer break, we were unable to recruit any participants,” said Dr. Jaqueline Lamme, OHSU instructor and principal investigator for the study.

Students interested in either starting birth control or switching birth control methods may be eligible for the study, Lamme said. “They may be eligible to receive free birth control as well as a small stipend for participating in the study and answering some follow-up questions via email over the course of a year,” she said.

The joint study is currently planned to continue into December. “We are hopeful that now that the fall term has started and students find out about the study that recruitment will pick up,” said Lamme.

Lamme said the research is being done to see if Mt. Hood students benefit from it.

Various FDA-approved birth control methods will be provided. They include pills, patch, ring, Depo-Provera, Nexplanon and both the Copper and Levonorgestrel IUDs.

The main quarters for the study is Modular Building 1, next to parking Lot N, past the pedestrian tunnels.

While there are no plans for the partners to remain on the MHCC campus once the study is complete, the study results will be available to MHCC,” Lamme said.

“If we do show a benefit of having this resource on campus, the hope is that this can support the development of a permanent contraception clinic on campus,” she said.

Students interested in participating, or getting more information, can call the recruitment line at 503-494-3666 or the clinic at 971-413-3119, or by emailing: [email protected].

Advocate Staff