Contraceptive knowledge, attitudes and changing practices in women presenting to maternal and child health clinics in North Central Trinidad.

Unlabelled: The relationship between contraceptive awareness and use in an environment of both high levels of unplanned pregnancies and prevalence of HIV/AIDS continues to be a major challenge. The objective of this study is to ascertain the knowledge of contraception and methods chosen in women of 18-45 years old attending primary care facilities in North Central Trinidad.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional study design with a knowledge, attitude, and practices type survey design. Five primary care facilities were selected using cluster sampling. All participants eligible for entry into the study were administered a structured, pretested questionnaire.

Results: 269 participants were enrolled in the study. The majority (88%) had good knowledge of contraceptive methods, yet this knowledge was not translated into the prevention of pregnancies as 64.3% had had an unplanned pregnancy. The male condom is now the predominant method of contraception.

Conclusion: The study provides evidence on the level of knowledge of contraception methods and their use, as well as attitudes and practices among women who are pregnant or who recently completed a pregnancy. Although the knowledge of contraception methods was relatively high, attitudes and practice remain unacceptable and the male condom is now the predominant method of choice.