Patterns Of Contraceptive Use Among Female Undergraduates In The University Of Ibadan, Nigeria

摘要

This study was conducted to determine pattern of contraceptives use among female undergraduates in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. A descriptive cross- sectional study was conducted among female undergraduates resident on campus using self administered questionnairesOverall, 425 female undergraduates between the ages of 15 and 30 years were interviewed. Only 28.7% of the respondents were sexually active and mean age at sexual debut was 19 years ±2.31 years. About 63.9% of the sexually active respondents had ever used some form of contraceptives mainly the condom and pills. Only (26.7%) of the sexually active respondents used a contraceptive at their last sexual encounter and contraceptive use was significantly higher (p<.05) among the older females.Contraceptive use among the sexually active female undergraduates of the University of Ibadan was not optimal although knowledge of various methods was high. Appropriate interventions are needed to encourage contraceptive use among sexually active female undergraduates. Introduction Globally, young people are beginning sexual activity at younger ages than previous generations with variations among many countries and regions (1-3).The risks related to sexual activity and unwanted pregnancy are among the most serious health risks that young people face and can jeopardize not only physical health but also long-term emotional, economic, and social well-being. The other reproductive health risks that young people face include Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) including HIV and unintended pregnancy often leading to unsafe abortion and its complications (4) .Generally, sexually active young adults are less likely to use contraception than adults, even within marriage (5). Researchers have documented that many reported unplanned pregnancies occur within a year after first sexual intercourse which is often unprotected (6). The value of the effective use of contraceptive methods in preventing unwanted pregnancy has been documented in various studies and the high level of contraceptive awareness and low level of its usage has also been established (7, 8). Young women in the university environment being away from home for the first time become free to experiment sexually especially without any parental supervision in addition, the coercion from older students and the liberal atmosphere of the university further encourage this experimentation which may lead to unwanted pregnancies and the predicament of dealing with the ensuing problems. This study was conducted to determine the sexual behaviour, knowledge and use of contraceptives and to examine the influences of socio-demographic factors on sexual behaviour of female undergraduates in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods Study AreaThe study was carried out in the University of Ibadan located in the South Western part of Nigeria; the University of Ibadan was founded in 1948 as Nigeria’s first tertiary educational institution.The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study of female undergraduates resident in the halls on campus irrespective of marital status, socioeconomic and religious background. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour and knowledge of contraceptives and use was obtained using a self administered semi structured questionnaire which had been pre-tested and administered by trained field workers. Verbal informed consent was obtained from each respondent before questionnaire was administered. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 14.0 software. Frequencies were generated and Chi-square test was used to check for associations between categorical variables. Level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results Socio-demographic characteristics of Respondents Four hundred and twenty-five respondents were interviewed. The majority 414 (97.4%) were single and 242 (56.9%) were aged between 20-24 years. There were 376 (88.5%) Christians and 44 (10.4%) Muslims.