Determinants for contraceptive use in young, single, Danish women from the general population

Autor: Poll P, Johannes E. Bock, Susanne K. Kjaer, Edith I. Svare
Rok vydání: 1997
Předmět:
Zdroj: Contraception. 55:287-294
ISSN: 0010-7824
DOI: 10.1016/s0010-7824(97)00032-2
Popis: Determinants for contraceptive use were studied in 5031, non-pregnant women aged 20-29 years from the general population in Denmark. Most women (72%) had never been pregnant, 34% had a history of a sexually transmitted disease, and 22% had ever had a legal abortion. Current contraception was most frequently condoms (60%) or oral contraceptives (33%). Among the women who used OCs or IUD, 32% reported additional condom use (double contraception). Important predictors of using one contraceptive method were lifetime number of sexual partners, parity, and age at first sexual intercourse for condoms and age for oral contraceptives. Also, women with a previous legal abortion were more likely to use condoms currently and women with a history of STDs were less likely to use condoms, but more likely to use OCs. Lifetime number of sexual partners was the only predictor of double contraception. Our data suggest a potential for reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and STDs in single women by increasing the information about the double principle in contraception.The determinants of contraceptive use were investigated in a cohort study of 5031 sexually active, unmarried/non-cohabitating, non-pregnant women 20-29 years of age from Copenhagen, Denmark, identified through the Central Population Register. High proportions of these women reported a previous pregnancy (28%), abortion (22%), or sexually transmitted disease (STD) (34%). Current contraceptive use was reported by 4528 women (90%); the most frequently used methods were condoms (60%) and oral contraceptives (OCs) (33%). Among the 2066 women who used OCs or the IUD, 665 (32%) reported additional condom use (double contraception). Condom-only users were significantly more likely to have had first intercourse at age 17 or older, used condoms at first coitus, never have had an STD, and to have completed 11 or more years of education; also in this category were significant numbers of women with 15 or more life-time sexual partners and a prior legal abortion. Young age (20-23 years) was the most significant determinant of OC-only use. The only significant determinant of double contraceptive use was 15 or more life-time sex partners. The association between multiple sex partners and use of double contraception suggests that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome prevention messages are reaching the target population in Denmark.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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