Is the process of diagnosing and treating incidental medical findings a barrier to contraceptive acceptance and use?

Summary

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of diagnosing and treating incidental medical disorders on contraceptive acceptance/use. The setting was the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, a tertiary referral centre for the South–South zone of Nigeria and South-west Cameroon. Subjects were apparently healthy women seeking contraceptive counselling at the Teaching Hospital, Calabar (2001–2005). A total of 4,990 women's records were studied for the diagnosis of incidental medical findings. Two levels of missed opportunity for contraceptive uptake were identified. Incidental medical findings were seen in 26.9% of women. Contraceptive acceptance in women with incidental medical findings was 24.8%. Defaults from the screening process and treatment of incidental medical findings were significantly associated with high parity and low social status (p < 0.5). Incidental medical disorders, although uncommon in women desiring contraception were associated with low contraceptive uptake in women with high parity and low social status.

Keywords:

• Contraceptive acceptance/use
• incidental medical findings