Ávila-Sánchez FA, Sarria-Ortiz D, Bonilla-Cortés CH, Solarte-Solarte LC, Cerón-Garcés C, Libreros-Peña L, Peña-Zárate EE, Galindo-Sánchez JS, Quintero AM, Escobar MF. Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of health care providers regarding the recommendation and use of long-acting reversible contraceptive devices for adolescent patients.
EUR J CONTRACEP REPR 2023;
28:295-300. [PMID:
37910020 DOI:
10.1080/13625187.2023.2272005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To describe the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare providers in a region in southwestern Colombia regarding the recommendation and use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods for adolescents.
STUDY DESIGN
This was a cross-sectional study. An online exploratory survey was designed to assess healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Valle del Cauca hospitals. For the development of this the questionnaire, a literature search and validation of the instrument's appearance were conducted.
RESULTS
The survey was completed by 115 people. Knowledge: 62.6% and 33% of the participants did not consider themselves capable of correctly placing an intrauterine device (IUD) or a subdermal implant, respectively. However, 73.9% of the participants had adequate theoretical knowledge. Attitudes: 64.3% of the participants considered that adolescents can acquire contraceptive methods without limitations. Short-acting reversible methods were the least recommended. Perceptions: For IUDs, 40.8% and 16.5% of the participants imposed a minimum age and minimum parity requirement for their use, respectively. Side effects were the main reason for not recommending in health institutions with a lower level of complexity.
CONCLUSION
Healthcare providers had positive attitudes and adequate theoretical knowledge concerning to the effectiveness of LARCs. The main areas for improvement were practical knowledge about the insertion and proper use of the devices, indications for referral to gynaecologists for the insertion procedure, and concerns about side effects.
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