Exploring Young Adults' Contraceptive Knowledge and Attitudes: Disparities by Race/Ethnicity and Age

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2014.02.003

Women's Health Issues

Volume 24, Issue 3, May–June 2014, Pages e281-e289

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2014.02.003 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended, with the highest proportions occurring among Blacks, Hispanics, and teenagers. Understanding differences in knowledge and attitudes about contraception by race/ethnicity and age can improve efforts to reduce disparities in unintended pregnancy.

Methods

This analysis used data from the 897 female respondents in National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge, a survey exploring young adults' knowledge and attitudes about contraception and pregnancy. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess racial/ethnic and age group differences in knowledge and attitudes about contraceptives.

Findings

Hispanics and teenagers (aged 18–19) had lower awareness of available contraceptive methods, and lower knowledge about individual methods compared with White women and young adults (age 20–29). For example, Hispanics (74%) and teenagers (77%) were less likely to have heard of the intrauterine device (IUD) than were White women (90%) and young adults (90%), and were less likely to know that a woman experiencing side effects could switch brands of oral contraceptive pills (72% of Hispanics vs. 86% of White women; 76% of teenagers vs. 90% of young adults). Hispanics born outside the United States had lower knowledge about contraceptives than U.S.-born Hispanics. For example, foreign-born Hispanics were less likely than U.S.-born Hispanics to have heard of the IUD (59% vs. 82%) or the vaginal ring (55% vs. 95%).

Conclusions

Lower contraceptive knowledge among teenagers and Hispanics, particularly immigrants, suggests the importance of disseminating family planning information to these women as one means to address disparities in unintended pregnancy.

Section snippets

Study Sample/Population

We examined data from the 2009 National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge, a nationally representative survey of 1,800 unmarried men and women aged 18 to 29 in the United States. The survey—conducted by the Guttmacher Institute and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy—was the first national survey to capture in-depth information on knowledge and attitudes regarding contraceptives and pregnancy. Detailed descriptions of the sampling methods (Frost

Sample Characteristics

The analytic sample consisted of 897 female respondents: 60% identified as non-Hispanic White, 20% as non-Hispanic Black, and 24% as Hispanic (Table 1). Ten percent were born outside of the United States, with 35% of Hispanics being foreign born. Respondents were on average 22 years old, and 26% were 18 or 19 years old. Most women were sexually active, with 85% reporting having ever had sex and 79% reporting having been sexually active in the last year.

Contraceptive Knowledge and Awareness by Race/Ethnicity

Overall, there were substantial deficits

Discussion

Although overall awareness of most contraceptive methods was high, specific areas of disparities in contraceptive knowledge exist among women aged 18 to 29 in the United States. Consistent with prior analyses of these data (Rocca & Harper, 2012), Hispanics had lower awareness of and knowledge about contraceptives than White women, but knowledge was generally similar between Black and White women. Additionally, we found lower knowledge among foreign-born Hispanics and teenagers, compared with

Acknowledgments

Funding sources: AC: Presentation of this work was made possible by grant number R25MD006832 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Ms. Craig does not have any financial disclosures.

CD: Presentation of this work was made possible by grant number K23HD067197 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. Dr. Dehlendorf does not have any financial disclosures.

SB: Presentation of this work was made possible by Grant Number

Amaranta D. Craig, BS, is a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco, in the UCSF Clinical and Translational Research Fellowship and PROF-PATH (Promoting Research Opportunities Fully- Prospective Academics Transforming Health) Fellowship. Her research interests include women's health and health disparities.

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Sexually active Latina adolescents attending California SRH centers who were not trying to become pregnant maintained consistent contraceptive use more frequently when using an IUD. Using a patient-centered approach, contraceptive counseling for Latina adolescents can describe the combined efficacy and contraceptive stability offered by IUDs should patients desire it.
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Christine Dehlendorf, MD, MAS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research interests include family planning disparities and contraception counseling.

Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests include disparities in contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy and contraceptive care in the VA Healthcare System.

Cynthia C. Harper, PhD, is Associate Professor at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco. Her research interests include social and policy aspects of family planning.

Corinne H. Rocca, PhD, MPH, is an Epidemiologist at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco. Her research interests include unintended pregnancy prevention, pregnancy ambivalence, and reproductive health disparities.

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Original articleExploring Young Adults' Contraceptive Knowledge and Attitudes: Disparities by Race/Ethnicity and Age

Abstract

Background

Methods

Findings

Conclusions

Section snippets

Study Sample/Population

Sample Characteristics

Contraceptive Knowledge and Awareness by Race/Ethnicity

Discussion

Acknowledgments

Womens Health Issues

Lancet

Journal of Adolescent Health

Fertility & Sterility

Contraception

Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Contraception

Contraception

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Contraception

Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Contraception

Contraception

Contraception

Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

Contraception

Reproductive health service preferences and perceptions of quality among low-income women: racial, ethnic and language group differences

Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Committee opinion no. 539: Adolescents and long-acting reversible contraception: implants and intrauterine devices

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Original article
Exploring Young Adults' Contraceptive Knowledge and Attitudes: Disparities by Race/Ethnicity and Age