title: Knowledge and attitudes of female university students on menstrual cycle and contraception.
abstract: Socioeconomic changes, as well as the development of new contraceptive modalities may influence women's preferences in the selection of a method of contraception. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, opinions and attitudes of female university students regarding the menstrual cycle, sexual health and contraception. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 2572 female university students in Hungary, Romania and Serbia, between November 2009 and January 2011. A higher proportion of students of health sciences than students of other faculties had appropriate knowledge of the fertile period within a menstrual cycle: 86.0%, 71.5% (p = .02) and 61.1% vs. 71.9% (p < .001), 59.8% and 43.2% (p < .001) in Hungary, Romania and Serbia, respectively. Overall, more than 69% of the female university students believed in the need for monthly menstruation in order to be healthy; however, merely 30 to 40% of them wished to have monthly bleeding. In general, the respondents were aware of the importance of menstruation in relation to sexual health; however, they wished to suppress the menstruation-related symptoms. Differences in the knowledge and attitudes of female university students of the three assessed countries may be explained in part by cultural differences, and in part by the nature of their studies.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , University of Szeged , Hungary.
authors.forename: Márta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szűcs
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , University of Szeged , Hungary.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bitó
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Education, University of Szeged , Hungary.
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Csíkos
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Health Science and Environmental Health, Szent István University , Gyula , Hungary.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Párducz Szöllősi
authors.affiliation: d "Vasile Goldis" Western University of Arad , Arad , Romania.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furau
authors.affiliation: e Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Grigore T. Popa Iasi.
authors.forename: Iolanda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blidaru
authors.affiliation: f Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Clinical Centre Vojvodine and Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad , Serbia.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapamadzija
authors.affiliation: g Family Planning Centre, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia , Belgrade , Serbia.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sedlecky
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , University of Szeged , Hungary.
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bártfai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology*; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000523:psychology*; D012383:Romania; D055771:Serbia; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents
keywords: Knowledge of fertile period; continuous hormonal contraception; family planning; green contraceptive methods; suppress menstruation; women’s reproductive health