Table 2.

Perceived risks and side-effects of contraceptives reported by youth and parents

Method	Male youth	Female youth	Parents/guardians
Male condoms	• If expired can cause infections	• Oils/lubricants cause stomach pains	• Cause cancer and sores on penis
	• Lubricants cause cancer and sores on penis
	• Worms in the packaging
	• Cause illness
Oral contraceptive pills	• Cause permanent sterility	• Pills clog up and accumulate in abdomen	• Weaken sperm cells
	• Weaken the man’s libido	• Cause illness	• Pills clog up and accumulate in abdomen
		• Ruin the inside of a person, harms the uterus
	• Cause illness and death
	• Stops egg production permanently
	• Make the woman unattractive
	• Encourage promiscuity
	• Men think women are less satisfying sexually
	• Cause continuous menstruation in women
Depo-Provera (injectable)	• Cause permanent sterility	• Cause permanent sterility	• Cause permanent sterility
	• Damage the ovaries and destroys egg cells	• Pain in the heart, arms, and legs	• Weaken the man’s libido
	• Weaken the man’s libido	• Cause illness	• Stomach pains
	• Prevent women from getting cancer	• Weaken the man’s libido	• Skin glows and women look healthy
	• Cause illness
	• Cause sperm accumulation in women’s body
	• Women are not as ‘sweet’ sexually
	• Women get enlarged breasts
Implants	• Cause permanent sterility	• Cause permanent sterility
	• Move around body and cause illness	• Cause birth of twins after discontinuation
	• Damage nerves and blood vessels	• Damage reproductive organs
	• Cause uterine cancer	• Heart and body pains
	• Continuous menstruation in women	• Close the birth canal
IUDs	• Cause permanent sterility	• Cause illness
	• Cause birth complications
	• Can cause death