Sociodemographic Factors Associated with the Knowledge and Use of Birth Control Methods in Adolescents before and after Pregnancy

Perspectives on the side effects of hormonal contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Kitwe district of Zambia: a qualitative explorative study

BACKGROUND

Globally, hormonal contraceptives have proved to be effective in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. However, despite evidence of the many benefits associated with the use of hormonal contraceptives, concerns related to their safety and side effects have been reported. We conducted a study to explore the perspectives on the side effects of hormonal contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Kitwe district of Zambia.

METHODS

An explorative qualitative study was done among 32 women of reproductive age (18-45 years). Participants were selected conveniently as they accessed family planning services at a designated reproductive, maternal, and child health facility. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews (IDIs). Recruitment of participants and data collection continued until the saturation point was reached. The interviews were recorded, translated, and transcribed verbatim. Data were imported into NVivo.x64 for coding and node generation after which categories and themes were developed manually.

RESULTS

Overall, participants demonstrated a considerable amount of knowledge of family planning, recounting the economic and health benefits as well as demerits of family planning use. The main reasons for discontinuing and switching hormonal contraceptive methods were the desire to get pregnant and the fear of unpleasant side effects, including excessive bleeding or prolonged menstruation, headache, dizziness, lower abdominal/back pain, and weight gain. Most importantly, participants cited concerns about the delay in the resumption of fertility after the termination of contraception and how the side effects disrupted their daily activities at home.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for family planning providers to offer family planning services that address the side effects of hormonal contraceptives during counselling and how women can manage them. Family planning services should adopt a patient-centred approach that takes into consideration the concerns regarding side effects and how this affects the quality of life among women. Also, there is a need to extend family planning services to include scheduled follow-ups and clinical management of contraceptive side effects among women.

Quality of Sexuality during Pregnancy, We Must Do Something-Survey Study

BACKGROUND

The main aim of this study was to describe the changes in sexual desire in pregnant women during the gestation period. We also sought to analyze their sexual habits, how they perceive their partners' attitudes, and determine if they know the importance of sex education during pregnancy.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted using an existing 32-item questionnaire among pregnant women attending the Fetal Welfare Clinic of a reference hospital. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

One hundred seventeen women participated. 50.4% stated that their sexual interest decreased. Aspects like the number of coitus, feeling orgasm with penetration or with masturbation, or the frequency of oral sex, were significantly reduced during pregnancy. 90.6% of the women stated that they would like to receive more sex education during pregnancy. There were no differences according to their education level, their partners' education level, or whether they believed that sexual intercourse could harm the baby.

CONCLUSIONS

Several advances have been achieved in the healthcare that physicians and midwives provide pregnant women. However, the quality of women's sex lives still declines during pregnancy. Healthcare providers should assume a proactive role, essential in helping future parents to enjoy their sexuality and dispel myths about sexuality, regardless of their education level.

Assessment of content, behavior change techniques, and quality of unintended pregnancy apps in Spain: Systematic search on app stores

Objective

Unintended pregnancies are a public health problem that represents 48% of global pregnancies. Despite the proliferation of smartphones there is limited data on the app's features on unintended pregnancy. The purpose of this research was to identify free apps available in Spanish, in the iOS Store and Google Play, which can be recommended to prevent unintended pregnancies in adolescents.

Methods

A systematic search to identify apps was performed in the iOS App Store and in Google Play aiming to replicate the way a patient might access an "unintended pregnancy prevention" app. Additionally, the quality, using the Mobile Application Rating Scale, and content were assessed.

Results

A total of 4614 apps were identified, of which 8 were retrieved for assessment (0.17%). The mean for objective and subject quality was 3.39 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.694) and 1.84 (SD = 0.626), respectively. A total of 16 thematic categories were identified. The mean of topics covered in the apps was 5.38 (SD = 2.925) being those related to contraception the more frequent.

Conclusion

The results of the present study suggest that only a small percentage of free pregnancy prevention apps in Spanish should be recommended. The contents of the apps retrieved meet the potential necessities of adolescents.

Factors related to pregnancy status and unwanted pregnancy among lebanese women during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Home confinement and lockdowns have created challenges and vulnerabilities, causing relevant changes in sexual health and couple stability, particularly in women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the socio-economic and psychological factors related to current pregnancy status and unwanted pregnancy among Lebanese women during the COVID-19 lockdown.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online study conducted between June 8 and August 1, 2020, enrolled 369 Lebanese women using the snowball technique for data collection. All married women between 18 and 51, with access to the internet and currently living with their partners, were eligible to participate. Current pregnancy status and unwanted pregnancy were assessed using binary questions. The SPSS software 25 was used for data analysis, and multivariable analysis was performed, taking the pregnancy status and unwanted pregnancy as the dependent variables. The statistical significance was set at a p-value < 0.05.

RESULTS

Our results showed that 11.1% of women were pregnant, of whom 22.0% reported unwanted pregnancies. Having children (ORa = 0.183) and taking contraceptives (ORa = 0.231) were significantly associated with a reduced chance of becoming pregnant. Higher psychological violence would negatively affect pregnancy, but the association was not significant (p = 0.065). Regular visits to the physician for routine checks were also linked to a decreased risk of unwanted pregnancy (ORa = 0.053). Higher psychological violence would affect unwanted pregnancy; however, the association was insignificant (p = 0.056).

CONCLUSION

The study findings showed that having children and taking contraceptives are associated with a reduced pregnancy. Additionally, psychological violence was found to be related to current pregnancy status and unplanned pregnancy. During a pandemic, vulnerable women should be identified and given adequate care, knowledge, and awareness regarding their reproductive health.

Young Nursing Student's Knowledge and Attitudes about Contraceptive Methods

PURPOSE

Adolescence is considered a period in which individuals are particularly at risk of negative consequences related to sexual health. Increased knowledge levels have traditionally been used as an indicator of the effectiveness of educational programs, but attitudes are not addressed and are a key element for the success of such programs. The aim of this study is to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes toward the use of contraceptive methods among nursing students. A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out. In total, 2914 university students (aged 18-25 years) enrolled in the study. Participants completed two validated scales to measure knowledge level and attitudes toward contraceptive use. Nursing degree students who received training about contraceptives obtained a success rate of over 70%, compared to 15.3% among students who had not received such training (p < 0.001). The mean attitude score was 43.45 points (10-50), but there were no significant differences in terms of student training (p = 0.435), although they were significantly higher among students who used contraceptives at first or last sexual intercourse (p < 0.001). There was a significant weak correlation between the level of knowledge and attitudes toward the use of contraceptives. An adequate level of knowledge about sexuality and contraceptive methods does not correspond to positive attitudes toward their use, although having an excellent attitude toward contraceptive use is related to their use during youth and adolescence.