Prejudices about contraception as a factor of its
insufficient use
A. Bjelica, A. Kapamadzija.
Clinical Center Novi Sad, Department of Gynecology and
Obstetrics, Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro.
Objectives: The study was carried out with the aim of
identifying most common prejudices and false beliefs related to contraceptive
means and contraception in general and their relation to the level of using
contraception in female students population. Besides, most important sources and
ways of obtaining information about contraception were also considered.
Design & Methods: The study encompassed 741 girls,
students of the second and third grades of the University of Novi Sad, who
completed a questionnaire specially designed for this study. Data were expressed
in relative numbers and presented in the form of graphs and tables. Statistical
method of multivariate discriminant analysis was also employed.
Results: 51.2% of the girls used contraception regularly,
that is all their sexual intercourses were protected from undesired pregnancy,
32.5% of them used contraception irregularly – depending on the situation and
partner, 3.9% girls used it very seldom, whereas 12.4% used it only when the
partner insisted or did not use contraception at all. The most common prejudices
that influence the level of using contraception are: “I don’t want to think
of contraception”, “Contraception is unhealthy and unnatural”, “Use of
condom affects strongly the spontaneity of the intercourse”, “In the
intercourse, the male is the one to think about potential risk of pregnancy”,
“Withdrawal is a quite reliable way of avoiding pregnancy”, “Taking
contraceptive pills can seriously endanger the woman’s health” and “If I
would buy condoms and carry them, a new partner wouldn’t like to have serious
relations with me”. The identified sources of information about contraception
are: parents (12.5%), school teachers (14.2%), university professors (9%),
friends (20.8%), mass media (22.7%), Internet (13.4%), professional literature
(3.5%), gynecologist (3.9%).
Conclusions: The results indicate the necessity of an
organized adequate sexual eduction with the aim of developing appropriate sexual
habits. Sexual education of young generations in Serbia and Montenegro takes
place through biology teaching and through occasionally organized talks about
contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. To a greater extent, young
people obtain information, which are often false, from the peers, through
Internet, TV, newspapers and magazines, which leads to forming and preserving of
numerous prejudices in this area.