Factors related to the intention to use artificial contraceptives among pregnant adolescents from low social stratum

Abstract

 In the present work some of the results from the quantitative stage of a combined study merging quantitative and qualitative methodologies are presented. The quantitative stage consisted of a correlational descriptive design aiming at establishing the association between the intention to use artifi cial contraceptives (modern) and some psychosocial variables: future individual goals, gender role perception, the stressfulness and severity attributed to the situation of pregnancy during adolescence, the vulnerability derived of becoming pregnant, the perceived barriers to attend outpatient clinics, social risk attributed to the condition of being pregnant during adolescence, use of artifi cial contraceptives (AA) among friends, friend counseling and partner number. A survey was implemented among 260 pregnant adolescents from a low social stratum that were under pregnancy follow up. Data showed a signifi cant association between the intent to use contraceptives and the medium term goals, friend counseling with regard to the use of contraceptives and female orientation in gender role. Unlike the expected, the use of AA by friends did not correlate to the intention to use they expressed. The perception of barriers to attend outpatient clinics by adolescents did not represent an impediment to their intention to use AA.  Although adolescents acknowledge there is a social risk upon becoming pregnant that can be attributed to the social reaction before a pregnancy, such variable is not signifi cant enough for their intention to use AA.