Barrier contraception among adolescents and young adults in a tertiary institution in Southwestern Nigeria: a cross-sectional descriptive study.
Nigeria, like most African nations, is basically conservative, but the young people are becoming more sexually liberated, and the incidence of STD/HIV, unwanted pregnancies and abortions among these young people is on the increase. The use of barrier contraception (BC), which is a cost-effective method of preventing STD/HIV, unwanted pregnancies and its attending complications, has therefore become an important issue in reproductive health. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among first year students of Osun State University, Nigeria. Four hundred respondents were studied using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. The respondents were selected by balloting. Most respondents (93%) had heard about the male condom as a method of barrier contraception. Most respondents (79.1%) supported the use of barrier contraceptives, but many (62.5%) thought it would promote sexual promiscuity, 33.4% believed that the use of barrier contraception reflected a lack of trust from the partner, and 38.7% felt barrier contraception is not necessary with a stable partner. One hundred and sixty one (40.5%) had used a form of barrier contraception before, but only 130 (32.7%) are currently using BC. The male condom was the most commonly used method (88.2%), followed by female condom and diaphragm (5.6% respectively). The prevention of STI and unwanted pregnancies were the main reasons (59%) given by respondents for using BC, while religion was the main reason given by non-users. The attitudes of these students toward barrier contraception and their practice were poor. The role of sex education at homes and religious gatherings cannot be over-emphasized.
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, PMB 4400, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. nike_bello@yahoo.com
Adenike I
AI
Olugbenga-Bello
Daniel A
DA
Adekanle
Ebenezer O
EO
Ojofeitimi
Adeleye A
AA
Adeomi
D000293:Adolescent; D017280:Condoms; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D042121:Contraception, Barrier / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003274:Contraceptive Devices, Female; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult