Table 3.

Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions on contraception among medical students (n=1996) in Maharashtra, India, 2011

Statement	Disagree completely	Disagree	Neither	Agree	Agree completely	Missing	Statement
Contraceptive pills might cause cancer	n	118	267	170	1126	304	11
	%	5.9	13.4	8.5	56.1	15.2	0.6
Contraceptive pills can cause infertility	n	526	857	227	349	25	12
	%	26.4	42.9	11.4	17.5	1.3	0.6
Contraceptive pills are inconvenient to use	n	608	855	236	249	38	10
	%	30.5	42.8	11.8	12.5	1.9	0.5
Emergency contraceptive pills can be used several times a month	n	972	630	115	227	37	15
	%	48.7	31.6	5.8	11.4	1.9	0.8
Condoms protect against sexually transmitted diseases/HIV	n	30	19	22	556	1361	8
	%	1.5	1	1.1	27.9	68.2	0.4
Traditional contraceptive methods (safe periods, withdrawal) are the best	n	647	913	166	190	69	11
	%	32.4	45.7	8.3	9.5	3.5	0.6
Contraceptive information should only be for married couples	n	1305	566	57	41	20	7
	%	65.4	28.4	2.9	2.1	1	0.4
Doctors working in abortion services have friendly attitudes towards unmarried women	n	166	346	559	695	215	15
	%	8.3	17.3	28	34.8	10.8	0.8
Married couples are shy to talk about contraception with each other	n	150	629	423	720	64	10
	%	7.5	31.5	21.2	36.1	3.2	0.5
Women feel confident discussing contraception with doctors	n	86	654	445	696	105	10
	%	4.3	32.8	22.3	34.9	5.3	0.5
Traditional values are barriers for sex education in India	n	72	137	116	939	722	10
	%	3.6	6.9	5.8	47	36.2	0.5
Sex education encourages unmarried people to have sex	n	536	824	329	232	68	7
	%	26.9	41.3	16.5	11.6	3.4	0.4