title: Contraceptive knowledge and attitudes among 14-24-year-olds in New South Wales, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate correlates of contraceptive knowledge and attitudes and describe differences in contraceptive knowledge by contraceptive category among young people in New South Wales.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 119 young people aged 14 to 24, recruited from youth centres, completed a contraceptive knowledge and attitude survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall contraceptive knowledge was low. Females had significantly better knowledge than males. There was high knowledge about condoms and withdrawal and low knowledge about shorter-term hormonal methods (oral contraceptive pill and vaginal ring) and long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods. Nearly half of respondents agreed that 'contraceptives make sex seem less romantic', while 58% agreed that 'contraceptives are difficult to use'. Despite this, both genders had positive attitudes to contraception, with females' attitudes significantly more positive than males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While young people, particularly young women, expressed attitudes conducive to contraceptive use, many are unaware of basic facts about methods, including highly effective LARC. Our findings reflect the modest reproductive and sexual health education received by Australian young people and cultural norms of condoms and oral contraceptives as default methods and highlight the need to improve knowledge, among young men, in particular, about the most effective contraceptive methods.
authors.affiliation: Family Planning New South Wales.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.affiliation: Family Planning New South Wales.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dore
authors.affiliation: Family Planning New South Wales.|Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McGeechan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D017280:Condoms; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: contraceptive attitude; contraceptive knowledge; unintended pregnancy; youth reproductive health