KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODSAMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT: A CASE STUDY

Dr.A.Geethalakshmi; Dr.S.Kavitha; Dr.D.Geetha

Volume : VI, Issue : I, January - 2017

KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODSAMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT: A CASE STUDY

Dr. A. Geethalakshmi, Dr. S. Kavitha, Dr. D. Geetha

Abstract :

Unplanned pregnancies occur when effective contraception is largely inaccessible, or contraceptive method is not used correctly or consistently. It has been estimated that almost 40% unplanned pregnancies occur globally each year as a result of ineffective contraceptive use or failure of method or non–use of contraception (World Health Organization, 2007). Information on knowledge ,attitude and practice of contraceptives among young people in India is important because of high rates of teenage and unwanted pregnancies so� STI and HIV/AIDS rates. To avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexual disease, young people need adequate information about contraceptive methods. This study aims to examine the level of young people contraceptive use and practice in kanchipuram district.

METHDOLOGY

There are two instruments used in this study .They are questionnaire and in–depth interview schedule. The questionnaire contains two sections. The first section is to identify the socio–demographic characteristics of the participants in this study, while the second part is information on knowledge and use of contraceptive methods among the young people in the kanchipuram district. The questionnaire was the major instrument of data collection. It is the kind of instrument that can cover wide range of most of the issues raised in this study. The interest is to use the questionnaire to obtain the background characteristics of the participants. their knowledge, opinion in relation to knowledge and use of contraceptive methods.

The in–depth interview was used to investigate salient issues that may not have been covered in the questionnaire. It seeks information on the participants knowledge and attitude to the use of contraceptives.

The above two instruments were used ,because they will facilitate this research more than any other techniques in gathering the desired data among young people. The questionnaire was administered with the help of six PG assistants they were trained to collect the data.

Results:

First, the level of knowledge of contraceptives methods was quite high among the young people , but the majority of the participants ever used any method was quite low. This implies that majority of sexually active young people are highly exposed to consequences of unprotected sex and sexually transmitted diseases. Second, the majority of the young people choose to use modern methods mostly preferred condom and lesser proportion of the participants identified pills and withdrawals, injectables as their preferred choice Third, greater majority of the young people had positive views towards contraceptives and were interested to know more about it especially before the age they are likely to start sexual activity. Some of them identified they were not properly thought and guided on how to lead their sexual life neither from their parents nor from their teachers. Fourth, the study found that sizeable proportion of youth prefers to use chemists/pharmacy shops to avoid identifying them sexually active and to avoid embarrassment by health workers at government and private hospitals, who will request for registration before attention could be given to them.