Factors associated with the knowledge and attitude of adolescents regarding male condom use

ABSTRACT Objective: Identify factors associated with the knowledge and attitude regarding male condom use in school adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional, quantitative, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice survey, conducted with 114 adolescents from a public state high school from August to October 2017, in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Results: The assumption of having sufficient knowledge regarding safe sex, not having a casual/dating partner, and having had three or more sexual partners in the last three months affected adequate knowledge. Higher education of the mother and not talking to the mother about sex were factors that influenced the inappropriate attitude of the participants. Conclusion: The knowledge and attitude of adolescents are influenced both by their previous sexual relations and by their relationship with their mother and the level of her schooling. Thus, it is essential that health institutions promote actions aimed at sex education, with support from schools and health professionals in general.

Trends in Male Contraceptive Use in Ghana: An Analysis of Self-Reported Contraceptive Use from GDHS 2003, 2008 and 2014

Background: Male participation in contraception is proven to have positive outcomes on reproductive health and remains a critical issue of public health importance. However, there is a dearth of evidence on men’s share of the contraceptive burden among couples in Ghana. Knowledge of the trends and trajectories of men’s contraceptive practice could inform male focused programmatic interventions to boost contraceptive use for effective fertility regulation. This study examined the trends in contraceptive use as reported by men. Methods: This paper examines trends in self-reported contraceptive use among sexually active Ghanaian males, using data from the three most recent national Demographic and Health Surveys (2003, 2008 and 2014). Frequency distributions of socio-demographic and background characteristics were used to describe the sample by each survey year. The Z test of proportions was used to identify significant differences in the estimated proportions and subgroups of men using contraceptives by survey year. The Combined data from the three nationally representative surveys were analyzed, accruing a sample of 9,008, comprising (GDHS 2003=3,104; GDHS 2008=3,007; and GDHS 2014=2,897) male respondents who met the inclusion criteria.Results: Men’s contraceptive use appears to have declined over the last three demographic surveys despite an increase in the proportion of sexually active males. However, a significant proportion of men who used contraception (44.5% - 41.5%) still relied on the male condom as their primary choice of contraception. Place of residence, educational attainment, occupation, region of residence and religious affiliation were all found to be significantly associated with contraceptive use consistency.Conclusion: There has been a significant decrease in contraceptive use by Ghanaian men between 2003 and 2014. Although the male condom appears to be the most popular modern male contraceptive method, especially during adolescence, along the life course the phenomenon changes, with a shift towards modern female methods. There is therefore, the need for family planning service providers, policymakers and all relevant stakeholders to consciously target men with contraceptive products and services and community engagement to improve FP uptake

Contraceptive Use among Senior Secondary School Students in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Aims: To determine the use of contraceptives among senior secondary school students in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi State. Study Design: A cross-sectional study design was used. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in public secondary schools in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi Nigeria, for a duration of six months Methodology: A two-stage sampling method was used to select 400 students from 6 out of 18 public secondary schools in Abakaliki metropolis. Information was obtained using a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Chi square test and multivariate logistic regression were used in the analysis and level of statistical significance was determined by p value of <0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 17.4±2.3 years and majority (51.5%) were females. More than one fifth (21.5%) have been exposed to sexual intercourse. Majority of the respondents (61.8%) were aware of contraceptives. The major sources of information were school lessons (46.0%) and health workers (40.8%). The contraceptives mostly known included male condom (42.0%), female condom (22.3%) and natural methods (15.3%). Out of the 400 respondents, a small proportion (8.5%) have ever used any method of contraception, and the male condom, was the most used method (82%). Logistic regression showed predictors of contraceptive use to include being <18 years (AOR=0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9), being male (AOR=6.0, 95% CI: 2.0-17.7) and being in senior secondary three class (AOR=0.2, 95% CI: 0.1-0.6). Conclusion: Only a small proportion of the respondents who were sexually active used any method of contraception. With school lectures as the main source of information on contraception, there is need for more comprehensive sexuality education to be included in the school curriculum.

Trends in Male Contraceptive Use in Ghana: An Analysis of Self-Reported Contraceptive Use from GDHS 2003, 2008 & 2014

Background Male participation in contraception is proven to have positive outcomes on reproductive health and remains a critical issue of public health importance. However, there dearth of evidence on male contraceptive use is in Ghana. Knowledge of the trends and trajectories of male contraceptive use could inform programmatic interventions to boost male contraceptive use for effective fertility control. Thus, this study sought to examine the trends in male contraceptive use using the three most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Ghana in 2003, 2008 and 2014. Methods This paper examines trends in self-reported contraceptive use among sexually active Ghanaian males, using data from the three most recent national Demographic and Health Surveys (2003, 2008 and 2014). Frequency distributions of socio-demographic and background characteristics were used to describe the sample by each survey year. The Z test of proportions was used to identify significant differences in the estimated proportions and subgroups of male contraceptive use by survey year. The Combined data from the three nationally representative surveys were analysed, accruing a sample of 9,008, comprising (GDHS 2003=3,104; GDHS 2008=3,007; and GDHS 2014=2,897) male respondents who met the inclusion criteria. Results Male contraceptive use appears to have declined over the last three demographic surveys despite an increase in the proportion of sexually active males. A significant proportion of male contraception users (44.5% - 41.5%) still relied on the male condom as their primary contraception choice. Place of residence, educational attainment, occupation, region of residence and religious affiliation were all found to be significantly associated with male contraceptive use consistency. Conclusions There has been a significant decrease in contraceptive use by Ghanaian men between 2003 and 2014. The male condom appears to be the dominant modern male contraceptive method, especially during adolescence, but along the life course contraceptive use shifts towards modern female methods. There is a need for family planning service providers, policymakers and all relevant stakeholders to consciously target men with contraceptive products and services. Focusing programmes and policies towards improving men’s contraceptive use is an imperative for effective fertility regulation. Key Words: Trend Analysis, Male Contraception, Family Planning, Ghana

Family Planning Knowledge and Practices in Two Communities in Lagos State, Nigeria

Background: Family planning (FP) refers to use of birth control methods that allow a couple to control their family size. Research shows that peoples’ quality of life improves when they are able to decide the number and spacing of their children and there are various methods available to help people achieve this purpose. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine respondents’ knowledge and practice about FP and their most utilized and best methods. Methods: Pretested, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 100 residents each in two communities (Mushin and Ojo) in Lagos after informed consent was obtained. The locations were conveniently selected. Data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics using Microsoft-Excel and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results obtained were presented as tables and charts. Results: Demographic profiles show that majority were females (90.2%) and were 45 years and below (77.2%). About 72% of the respondents use contraceptive methods. The results show that the respondents have a good knowledge of FP and use is high. The most known methods are the male condom (100.0%) and calendar/rhythm (92.9%) while the most utilized methods are emergency contraception (45.9%) and male-condom (40.7%). The most preferred methods according to the respondents are the male condom (27.1%) and abstinence (26.9%). Conclusion: Awareness of FP and contraceptive use rate was high in the two communities. Routine use of emergency contraception was recorded. The study recommends public enlightenment campaigns to further improve the knowledge and correct those misconceptions that exist.