Female Romanian university students’ attitudes and perceptions about contraception and motherhood

Abstract

Objectives The aim of our study was to investigate the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of female Romanian university students, as possible future opinion leaders, about contraception and motherhood, by assessing their level of contraceptive use, opinions and knowledge with regard to combined oral contraceptives (COCs).

Methods A knowledge, attitudes and practice questionnaire was conducted among 1105 female university students aged 19 to 30 years. The participants were recruited from six faculties at universities in Iasi and Arad, Romania. The study protocol was approved by the university ethics committees. Statistical analyses included percentages, χ² tests and Fisher's exact test.

Results Two-thirds of respondents were in a relationship or married. Average age at first sexual intercourse was 18.6 years. Two out of three (69%) students identified themselves as sexually active. The same percentage showed a positive attitude towards contraception and stated that they used it. The most commonly used contraceptive methods were condoms, COCs and withdrawal. The students’ perceptions of the benefits and adverse effects of COCs were analysed. Half of the students had heard about extended COC regimens, but only 24% showed interest in using them regularly. A large proportion of pharmacy and non-medical students appeared to have poor knowledge about contraception and reproductive health, which generated misperceptions and negative attitudes. Two-thirds of the participants considered 25 to 29 years to be the optimal age for starting a family, and 85.5% intended to have children in the future.

Conclusions Medical students, but not pharmacy students, showed higher levels of knowledge. Improvement of students’ knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards general contraceptive use, COCs and childbearing is needed. Evidence-based information is required to address poor knowledge about the physiology of reproduction, misconceptions relating to COCs, and the possibility of menstrual suppression using hormonal contraceptive methods. Compulsory reproductive health education for students is desirable.

Abstract

摘要 目的 本研究的目的是通过对避孕药具使用水平、意见及复方口服避孕药的知识的评估调查罗马尼亚女大学生—可能为未来舆论领导者，对避孕和孕产的知识、认知和态度。

方法 对年龄在19-30岁之间的1105名女大学生进行关于知识、态度及行为的问卷调查。调查者来自罗马尼亚雅西和阿拉德大学的6个学院。本研究得到大学伦理委员会批准。统计分析使用百分率、卡方检验和Fisher精确概率法。

结果 三分之二的调查者有性生活或者已婚，初次性交的平均年龄是18.6岁，超过三分之二（69%）的学生认为她们自己性活跃，相同比例的学生对避孕持积极的态度并且表示使用避孕方法。最常使用的避孕方法是避孕套、复方口服避孕药和体外排精避孕。对学生们关于复方口服避孕药的益处和副作用的了解情况进行了分析。一半的学生听说过复方口服避孕药，仅24%规律使用。很大比例的药学和非医学专业的学生对避孕和生殖健康知识了解很少并产生错误的认识和消极态度。三分之二的调查者认为成家的最佳年龄是25-29岁，85.5%打算在将来要孩子。

结论 除药学外的医学生知识水平较高，必需提高学生们对常规的避孕药具使用、复方口服避孕药及生育的知识、观念和态度。这就要求用循证的信息来解决生殖生理、避孕药的错误认识、使用复方口服避孕药月经抑制的可能性等知识上的不足。强制性的生殖健康教育对学生们来说是合适的。

Keywords:

• Childbearing
• Combined oral contraception
• Contraceptive use
• Family planning in Romania
• Female university students
• Reproductive health knowledge

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are indebted to Sarah Randall for revising the manuscript. We are also grateful to Michelle Shedlin, from New York University College of Nursing, who revised the questionnaire; to the statisticians of the Central Statistical Institute, Szeged, Hungary, who established a large part of the Excel database; and to Lucian Boiculese, from the Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics at Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, for reviewing the statistical analysis.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The authors are grateful to the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health for its financial support of the present study.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL AVAILABLE ONLINE

Supplementary Appendix to be found online at http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13625187.2015.1066495