Barrier versus Oral Contraceptive Use: A Study of Female College Students
- 1 September 1991
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of American College Health
- Vol. 40 (2) , 83-85
- https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1991.9936260
Abstract
Although they provide birth control and are easier to use, oral contraceptives (OCPs) are not the preferred approach to preventing sexually transmitted disease (STD). Do the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of oral contraceptive users place them at greater risk for STDs than those who employ barrier methods? This study examined differences between sexually active female college students (ie, those who reported ever having had vaginal intercourse) who used OCPs and those who employed barrier methods of contraception at the time of their most recent intercourse. The authors analyzed HIV- and other STD-related knowlege, attitudes, and behaviors from three consecutive annual health surveys of young women about to begin their first year of college. Findings showed barrier and OCP users to be comparable in knowledge about the effectiveness of various contraceptive methods in protecting them against STDs, perceived personal susceptibility to HIV, and experiences with alcohol before sexual intercourse. Oral contraceptive users, compared with those in the group who used barrier methods, reported a greater number of recent partners (p < .03) and greater perceived vulnerability to STDs (p < .03). Student healthcare providers must develop creative educational strategies to encourage simultaneous use of both oral contraceptives and barrier methods to protect students against STDs and pregnancy.Keywords
This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- Beliefs about AIDS, use of alcohol and drugs, and unprotected sex among Massachusetts adolescents.American Journal of Public Health, 1990
- Decreased risk of symptomatic chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease associated with oral contraceptive useJAMA, 1990
- Hormonal ContraceptionPediatric Clinics of North America, 1989
- Oral contraceptives, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, and pelvic inflammatory disease. A word of caution about protectionPublished by American Medical Association (AMA) ,1985
- The Health Belief Model: A Decade LaterHealth Education Quarterly, 1984