Contraceptive use among sexually active university students.

Aims: The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate factors related to contraceptive use and nonuse among a group of sexually active women attending a university.

Methods: From October 2006 to August 2007, 326 female students participated in a cross-sectional study at a large, public university. Women self-reported information on contraceptive behaviors via web-based and postal mail questionnaires. Among sexually active women, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cls) were calculated to examine the association between various characteristics and the decision to use contraception. Reasons for contraceptive use and nonuse were also further explored.

Results: Of sexually active women, 77.1% reported using contraception. The most popular methods of contraception used were oral contraceptives and male condoms. Twenty-five percent of women not using contraception indicated that cost was an issue. Women who reported that a healthcare worker had ever talked to them about contraception had 6.63 times the odds of currently using contraception (95% CI 2.30, 19.18).

Conclusions: The most common reason for contraceptive nonuse was related to cost. In addition to educating students on the availability of effective, low-cost methods of contraception, healthcare workers can take advantage of well-woman visits to discuss contraceptive use and methods that suit an individual's needs. Such interventions and personalized counseling may lead to higher continuation rates and increased user satisfaction.