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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jennifer C. Gard, BA, MPH-5/06, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rosenau Hall, CB# 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440, 919-966-3761, jgard@email.unc.edu

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: A qualitative study in which data were gathered from focus group discussions of young men aged 19-27 years (N=64) recruited through community networking in the San Francisco Bay Area. OUTCOMES: Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts to determine basic awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and experience with contraceptive methods. RESULTS: Five major themes emerged from focus group discussions. Participants' contraceptive decision-making reflects their degree of commitment with sexual partners. They expressed mistrust with casual partners regarding concern for pregnancy and disease transmission, and concern trusting all partners to effectively use hormonal contraceptives. Concerns about the negative side effects of hormonal methods on partners were also reported. They expressed willingness to communicate with partners about anxieties regarding trust and method choice. Feelings were divided on whether or not men should have equal responsibility with women in monitoring contraceptive use. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that young men's limited roles in contraceptive decision making may be due to apprehensions that are related to lack of partner trust and communication. It is important to increase the awareness about attitudes revealed in this study and to stimulate research on their influence of future programs involving male participation. Additional research should further elucidate ways to provide opportunities for young men to initiate dialogue with partners as a means of promoting greater acceptance of male participation in contraceptive decision making.

Learning Objectives:

• To assess young men’s knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experience with both hormonal and coitus-dependent contraceptive methods and to identify barriers to use.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Contraceptives

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered