Identifying psychological and behavioral factors that contribute to low or inconsistent contraceptive use is one important means by which to develop targeted interventions to promote this health behavior. The current study investigated social anxiety as a potential barrier to contraception-related communication and use among a sample of 499 undergraduate women (Mage = 20.81, SD = 3.63). Social anxiety was associated with increased likelihood of having never spoken to anyone about birth control, decreased likelihood of having spoken to one’s mother about birth control, and decreased likelihood of having ever utilized contraceptive methods that require communication with a healthcare provider among the full sample, but not among the subset of the sample that reported being sexually active with men. Additionally, there was no significant impact of social anxiety on contraceptive knowledge and, although there was a positive relationship between social anxiety and embarrassment-related condom concerns, social anxiety was not associated with shared decision-making about birth control or condom use/unprotected sex frequency with past-year partners among the subset of the sample who had been heterosexually active over the last year. Overall, these findings indicate that although social anxiety may negatively impact communication about contraception in some cases, it does not seem be a significant barrier to contraceptive-related communication or use among heterosexually active college-aged women. Future research will benefit from continued exploration of other potential psychosocial (and targetable) barriers to contraceptive-related communication and use. / Psychology

published_or_final_version / Zoology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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Class of 2009 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this work is to explore the correlations between demographics, knowledge, and attitudes that student pharmacists have in regards to oral emergency contraception (OEC) and their dispensing. METHODS: University of Arizona pre-rotation student pharmacists were asked to complete a questionnaire during a regularly scheduled required class. The questionnaire had three sections consisting of general OEC knowledge, specific attitudes regarding OEC, and demographic data. RESULTS: Students who stated moral and/or ethical objections to dispensing OEC had significantly lower knowledge scores. They also showed a response pattern to attitude and belief questions opposite to that of students who stated feeling comfortable dispensing OEC in most situations. There were no significant differences in total correct scores on the knowledge questions between gender or year in school, however, there were significant differences in some specific questions. CONCLUSIONS: Students who did not feel comfortable dispensing OEC or had moral and/or religious objections to dispensing OEC were found to have lower knowledge scores. With the exception of two knowledge questions, total correct scores on OEC knowledge questions increased with year in school. Lack of knowledge about OEC may in part contribute to unease and objections to dispensing them.

This thesis reports the results of a randomised controlled intervention study carried out between May and November 1993 in a major public hospital in the metropolitan area of Fortaleza City, Ceará, Brazil. The objective was to investigate the impact of post abortion counselling on uptake of contraception and on subsequent pregnancy and abortion. The study population was a sample of women hospitalised with complications of induced abortion which were identified during as larger hospital-based study on abortion. The intervention was half an hour of contraceptive counselling prior to discharge at the study site hospital. No contraceptive method was given. A total of 695 women were enrolled into the study, 345 in the intervention group and 350 in the control group. They were followed up at home at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 months, 8 months and 1 year after discharge. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire. Outcome measures of interest were; knowledge of contraceptive methods, seeking contraceptive services, uptake of contraception, having unprotected sexual intercourse, subsequent pregnancies and subsequent abortion. The study results show that this particular mode of counselling (single shot hospital-based post-abortion) increased the level of knowledge of some contraceptive methods, but did not have any effect in changing behaviour such as seeking contraceptive services, uptake of contraception or having unprotected sexual relationship. As a consequence, counselling did not show any impact on preventing another unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion. Among 695 women, 165 (23.7%) became pregnant again before the end of the 1 year follow-up; 81 (23.5%) in the intervention group and 84 (24.0%) in the control group. Of the 695 women, 42 (6.0%) had another abortion before the end of the 1 year follow-up; 27 (7.8%) in the intervention group and 15 (4.3%) in the control group. At 6 weeks visit, of the 662 women interviewed, 345 (52.1%) were using contraceptive methods; 178 (53.8%) in the intervention group and 167 (50.5%) in the control group. Women who were not using contraception after abortion tended to be young, single or without a partner. "Not having sexual intercourse" was the most frequently cited reason for not using a contraceptive method during the follow-up period. Suggestions were made on how a more effective intervention that might prove more successful in responding to these women' s needs for enhanced contraception can be developed.

This study analyses reproductive changes in Benin, a West African country with high fertility and low prevalence of use of modem contraceptive methods, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Findings indicate that a transition to lower fertility is underway, particularly in the urban areas, as a result of an emerging pattern of birth limitation and continued desire for the traditional long birth intervals. But only a small change has occurred in the main proximate determinants of fertility. The data suggest: that changes in childhood mortality in combination with increased women's education, though modest, have probably created a demand for fertility control among women; that induced abortion among other factors, may be one of the means through which such demand was met, particularly in urban areas; and that the economic crisis of the 1980s was the main catalyst which precipitated the onset of transition. Changes in reproductive preference and practice suggest a diffusion process, from the urban and more educated women to the rural and less educated ones. The data also reveal that the low prevalence of use of modem contraception may be associated with poor knowledge, widespread fear of side effects and complications and poor quality of family planning services. The main policy implication of these results is that an appropriate reproductive health programme is required to address women's needs and reduce the levels of unwanted pregnancies and induced abortion which are likely to be rising rapidly.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

This research report is submitted in partial fulfilment of the Master of Arts in Demography and Population Studies, in the Faculty of Humanities (School of Social Sciences), at the University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / Background Ethnicity is widely known to affect all aspects of an individual’s life. Ethnic groups differ in traditional values and attitudes toward fertility and related health behaviors. Therefore, these values and belief systems shape attitudes towards contraception. The significance of ethnicity on the use of contraceptives has been neglected in sub- Saharan Africa. Fertility transitions have been widely attributed to the increased use of contraceptives among women worldwide. Given that ethnicity plays an important role in post-colonial Kenya, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between ethnicity and contraceptive use in Kenya. The study addressed two specific objectives (1) to examine the level of contraceptive use in Kenya’s ethnic groups, and (2) to examine the socio-economic and demographic factors that affect contraceptive use in Kenya’s ethnic groups. Methodology The study utilized data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2008-2009.The target population was women of reproductive ages(15-49 years). Out of a total sample size of 8,444 women, the study sample was restricted to 4,482 women who were sexually active. Objective 1 was achieved using percentage distributions and chi-square tests, while objective 2 was achieved by using binary logistic regression. Stata version 12 was utilized for management and analysis of the data. / GR2017