ATTITUDES TOWARDS CONTRACEPTIVES AND THEIR UTILIZATION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Keywords:
Contraceptives, Sexually transmitted diseases, Unwanted pregnancy, Risk behavior among young adults, AttitudesAbstract
Recebido: 20/06/2018
Aprovado: 5/08/2018
We investigated university students’ attitudes and perceptions toward the use of contraceptives in the Dominican Republic using the Contraceptive Attitude Scale. This is a quantitative descriptive study designed to examine attitudes toward and use of contraceptives among university students. Data were collected using the Contraceptive Attitude Scale from randomly selected University students at a medium sized university in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. Study findings suggest some gender differences related to the perceived need to use contraceptives, consequences, encouragement, and difficulties with usage. Differences were also found based on years at the university in regard to feelings and reasons linked to the use of contraceptives, and age distinctions with topics including contraceptive encouragement among friends and contraceptives use preferences. Findings suggest the need to improve social norms and perceptions about contraceptives as a strategy to increase their use among university-aged students. Focusing on contraceptive and sexual education at the university level through peer educators, self-esteem building, and specific interventions could assist in improving the overall health of young adults in the Dominican Republic.
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