Abstract
Purpose: This study was performed in the context of a sexual health promotion project in a Nova Scotia community. Community members wanted information about adolescent females’ knowledge and use of emergency contraception (EC). The study was done to meet this need.
Methods: Female high school students aged 14 to 19 were administered a self-completion survey asking about their knowledge of EC, the time frame for its use, its effectiveness, their personal use of EC, unsuccessful attempts to obtain EC, and sources of knowledge of EC.
Results: Eighty-five percent of 411 female students participated. Eighty percent knew about EC, though few (8%) knew the time frame for EC use. Most (42%) heard of EC at school. Eighteen percent used no contraception at last intercourse. Only 2% ever had used EC.
Conclusions: Adolescent women know about EC but use it infrequently, even though they frequently lack contraception. These findings raise questions about alternative methods for providing EC to young women.
Résumé
But: Cette étude a été réalisée dans le cadre d’un projet de promotion de la santé sexuelle dans une collectivité de Nouvelle-Écosse. Les membres de cette collectivité souhaitaient avoir de l’information sur les connaissances que possèdent les adolescentes des moyens de contraception post-coïtale ou contraception d’urgence, et l’utilisation qu’elles en font. Cette étude a été réalisée dans le but de répondre à ce besoin.
Méthodologie: On a demandé à des étudiantes du secondaire âgées de 14 à 19 ans de remplir un questionnaire portant sur leurs connaissances des moyens contraceptifs d’urgence, des délais pour les utiliser, de leur efficacité, de leur utilisation personnelle de ces moyens, de leurs tentatives infructueuses pour obtenir ces moyens, et de l’origine de leurs connaissances des moyens contraceptifs d’urgence.
Résultats: Quatre-vingt cinq pour cent des 411 étudiantes ont participé à l’étude. Quatre-vingt pour cent d’entre elles connaissaient les moyens contraceptifs d’urgence, mais rares étaient celles (8%) qui savaient dans quels délais s’en servir. La plupart d’entre elles (42%) en avaient entendu parler à l’école. Dix-huit pour cent n’avaient utilisé aucun contraceptif lors de leurs derniers rapports sexuels. Seulement deux pour cent d’entre elles s’étaient servies de moyens de contraception d’urgence.
Conclusions: Les adolescentes savent qu’il existe des moyens de contraception d’urgence mais elles s’en servent rarement en dépit du fait qu’elles manquent fréquemment de contraceptifs. Ces résultats posent des questions sur les autres méthodes qui permettraient de mettre les moyens de contraception d’urgence à la disposition des jeunes femmes.
Footnotes
This research was supported by the National Health Research and Development Program of Health Canada #6603-1474-201
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