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Adolescents: contraceptive knowledge and use, a Brazilian study
Divanise S Correia1, Ana C P Pontes, Jairo C Cavalcante
1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde (PPGCSa)-59010-180, Natal-RN-Brazil. divanises@gmail.com
Thescientificworldjournal
|January 20, 2009
Summary
Most adolescent students know about contraception, but many sexually active girls do not use methods effectively, increasing pregnancy risks. Misconceptions about abortion as contraception highlight a need for better reproductive health education.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Adolescent Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant public health concern globally.
- Understanding contraceptive knowledge and usage among female adolescents is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the knowledge and utilization of contraceptive methods among female adolescent students in Maceió, Brazil.
- To identify gaps in contraceptive knowledge and practices within this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires.
- A representative, randomized sample of 12- to 19-year-old female students was surveyed.
- Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test.
Main Results:
- 95.5% of students had knowledge of some contraceptive methods, primarily barrier and hormonal types (72.4%).
- 37.9% of sexually active girls reported no contraceptive use; barrier methods were most common (35.85%).
- Significant association found between pregnancy and contraceptive use in the total sample, but not in sexually active individuals.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents, particularly those with prior pregnancies, demonstrate knowledge of contraception but inadequate usage.
- Misconceptions of abortion as contraception indicate a lack of pregnancy prevention awareness.
- Low use of effective contraceptive methods, especially chemical ones, elevates pregnancy risk.
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