Knowledge and attitudes of young men regarding contraception

Background. The number of voluntary terminations of pregnancy reflects the high number of unwanted pregnancies. Whereas many studies have investigated the attitudes of young women towards contraception, few were about the attitudes of men. Objectives. To determine views and attitudes of young men towards contraception. Methods. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with men aged 18 to 20 years old. A purposive sampling was used, until data saturation. The analysis was conducted by two researchers according to a grounded theory approach. Results. The role of the woman in contraception was predominant in their views. Depending on the partner was sometimes a source of worry. Their knowledge about the different means of contraception and their use was heterogeneous and in most cases insufficient. The participants recognized that they had little knowledge, but were taking no initiative to seek information. Knowledge about the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases was better. Finally, these young adults obtained information from various sources: press, internet, their physician, their family circle. The general practitioner (GP) was one source among others. The sexual education lessons given at school were not considered informative. Conclusion. The GP was not considered to be the person consulted by young adults seeking information on contraception, as he was seen as the provider of treatments or prescriptions.