Publication
Title
Contraception : a questionnaire on knowledge and attitude of adolescents, distributed on Facebook.
Author
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The contraceptive pill is widely used. An accurate knowledge is necessary for correct use. OBJECTIVE: This study sheds light on adolescents' knowledge, attitude and behavior in regard to contraceptive use, in the year 2014. The goal is to provide general practitioners (GP) with information about the potential gaps in knowledge concerning contraceptive use in order to give better counseling and prevent high-risk behavior in adolescents. METHODS: A quantitative descriptive study was carried out among 14-25-year-old female and male adolescents. Data were collected through a web-based survey using the online survey software Qualtrics (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) and was distributed via the social networking site Facebook. RESULTS: The survey was started by 1185 participants. The most popular contraceptive method among females is the oral contraceptive pill (63.7%). Four out of ten females (42.6%) do not know that when using an emergency pill, they must still take their regular contraceptive pill on the same day. The majority of female respondents (80.0%) go to their general practitioner for a prescription for the pill. Ninety-five percent (95.1%) of the females would feel comfortable asking their GP for extra information about the drug. The sex of the GP does not influence the likelihood of female patients seeking more information. The Internet also seems to serve as an important source of information. We defined a female subgroup, called "vulnerable". The majority of females in the non-vulnerable group (70.4%) protected themselves before their first sexual contact instead of only half of the members in the vulnerable group (51.0%). CONCLUSION: The level of knowledge among adolescents about contraception is not alarming, but there are a few blind spots. Eliminating these gaps should be the aim of the doctor and pharmacologist.
Language
English
Source (journal)
International journal of adolescent medicine and health / Iisi ramco. - Publications
Publication
Publications : 2016
ISSN
0334-0139
DOI
10.1515/IJAMH-2015-0027
Volume/pages
28 :4 (2016) , p. 407-412
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
VABB-SHW
Record
Identifier
Creation 09.02.2016
Last edited 07.10.2022
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