Perceived male partner attitudes toward the female condom predict female university students' use of the female condom

Women's preferences for a new contraceptive under development: an exploratory study

Objective

Currently available contraceptive methods do not meet the needs of all users. We sought to explore preferences of potential end-users regarding an on-demand, non-hormonal female contraceptive currently under development, using a web-based survey.

Study design

We recruited respondents for an exploratory survey via web link on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Individuals were eligible if they were 18-44 years of age, identified as cis-gender female, were English-speaking, not pregnant, and had used barrier contraception previously. Respondents provided demographic characteristics and a basic reproductive history. We then provided a brief description of the potential contraceptive. Respondents were asked about their interest in the proposed contraceptive and preferences for method attributes.

Results

A total of 500 respondents completed the survey. Three-quarters of respondents were <35 years of age and 48.2% were currently using a barrier contraceptive method. Three-fourths of respondents (73.8%) expressed interest in using the contraceptive under development. The majority wanted the method to be small (≤2 inches), rod-shaped, and low cost (<$5 per use). More than half (59.4%) said it was important to be able to use the method without partners' knowledge. The most reported potential concerns were vaginal irritation (51.6%) and lack of effectiveness (46.4%). Sixty percent of respondents were confident they could use the method correctly.

Discussion

Available contraceptive methods lack attributes preferred by some users. Development of new contraceptives frequently does not involve end-user input early in the development process. Individuals in this sample displayed interest in the proposed contraceptive and expressed preferences that can inform the further development of this method.

Perceived motivators, knowledge, attitude, self-reported and intentional practice of female condom use among female students in higher training institutions in Dodoma, Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) inclusive, have remained to be a significant public health challenges among young people, especially across middle and low-income countries. Self-efficacy on the right ways of using condoms appears to be effective against the aforementioned health-related problems. However, most women of reproductive age tend not to use them when they are using highly effective contraceptives such as implants, and/or injectable hormones. It is unknown whether the uptake of female condoms among young girls is significantly high or not. Examining female students' perceived motivators, knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported and intentional female condom practice in training institutions seems to be a key precursor in addressing the challenge.

METHODS

The institutional-based analytical cross-sectional survey in a quantitative research approach was adopted to study 384 randomly selected female students from higher training institutions, in Tanzania. Interviewer-administered structured questionnaires from previous studies were the main data collection tools. Data analysis was done using a statistical package for social science (SPSS) with the strength of statistical limits set at a 95% confidence interval and a 5% significance level.

RESULTS

The response rate of the study was 100% with 24 ± 2.122 years respondents' mean age while and 32.7% of them were in the third year of their studies. Only 6.2% of the respondents reported having used female condoms while 26.3% of them have not ever seen packages of female condoms. The minority of the respondents (21.7%, 23.3%, and 9.4%) demonstrated good knowledge, positive attitude, and intention to use female condoms respectively. Their age, accommodation, marital status, peer groups, previous training, knowledge, and attitude related significantly to their intentional practices of female condom use (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Given the existing governmental and non-governmental efforts that advocate awareness creation and the uptake of various contraceptives, this study has found that knowledge, attitude, self-reported and intentional practices of female students admitted in higher training institutions within Dodoma region, Tanzania is low. Institutionalized educational programs on sexual and reproductive health matters may need to be prioritized to increase the availability, accessibility, and uptake of female condoms among female students in higher training institutions.

Barriers and Enablers Influencing Women's Adoption and Continuation of Vaginally Inserted Contraceptive Methods: A Literature Review

Most vaginally inserted methods have limited availability and use despite offering characteristics that align with many women's stated preferences (e.g., nonhormonal and/or on demand). The objective of this review was to identify enablers and barriers to women's adoption and continuation of vaginally inserted contraceptive methods in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We searched three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) and 18 websites using keywords related to five vaginally inserted contraceptive methods (diaphragm, vaginal ring, female condom, copper intrauterine device [IUD], hormonal IUD) and terms associated with their adoption and continuation. Searches were limited to resources published between January 2010 and September 2020. Studies eligible for inclusion in our review presented results on women's use and perspectives on the enablers and barriers to adoption and continuation of the vaginally inserted contraceptive methods of interest in LMICs. Relevant studies among women's partners were also included, but not those of providers or other stakeholders. Data were coded, analyzed, and disaggregated according to a framework grounded in family planning (FP) literature and behavioral theories common to FP research and program implementation. Our initial search yielded 13,848 results, with 182 studies ultimately included in the analysis. Across methods, we found common enablers for method adoption, including quality contraceptive counseling as well as alignment between a woman's preferences and a method's duration of use and side effect profile. Common barriers included a lack of familiarity with the methods and product cost. Notably, vaginal insertion was not a major barrier to adoption in the literature reviewed. Vaginally inserted methods of contraception have the potential to fill a gap in method offerings and expand choice. Programmatic actions should address key barriers and enable voluntary use.