Contraceptive use among university females: A focus on dual contraception

Background: Combining pregnancy prevention methods decreases the likelihood of an unintentional pregnancy. Studies of dual contraceptive use have focused primarily on pairing a hormonal contraceptive with a condom. This study describes the variety of methods women use and pair to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy. Method: National College Health Assessment data collected at a private, southern university in the spring of 2006 were analyzed for contraceptive behaviors of university females. Results: Overall, 98.27% of female students who were sexually active (n = 967) reported using a form of contraception at last vaginal intercourse. Dual contraceptive use was high (40.82%) at last vaginal intercourse. Women reported combining two to four pregnancy prevention methods for a total of 24 unique combinations. Most methods were combined with oral contraceptives. The pairing of oral contraceptives and condoms was the second most cited method of birth control overall, second only to oral contraceptives alone. Age group (p < 0.001), relationship type (p < 0.001), and student status (p < 0.001) were associated with level of contraception used at last vaginal intercourse. Factors associated with higher dual use than expected include reporting relationship status as single, undergraduate student status, and reporting age as 18-25 years old. Conclusions: Reported dual contraceptive use was much higher than in previous studies. Though combinations of oral contraceptives and condoms were most common, a multitude of contraceptive combinations were reported. It is important not to limit the definition of dual contraceptive use to oral contraceptives and condoms in future studies.