Open AccessSexual behavior and contraception among young Polish women
Author(s) -
Olszewski Jaroslaw,
Olszewska Hanna,
AbacjewChmylko Anna,
Chmylko Lukasz,
GaworskaKrzeminska Aleksandra,
Wydra Dariusz
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349.2010.520080
Subject(s) - medicine , sexual intercourse , unintended pregnancy , family planning , demography , developed country , emergency contraception , population , gynecology , sexual behavior , young adult , pregnancy , obstetrics , research methodology , gerontology , environmental health , clinical psychology , sociology , biology , genetics
Objective . To analyze sexual behavior and the use of contraception among young women in Poland. Design . Cross‐sectional study. Population . 1,478 young women in higher (78.9%) and secondary (21.1%) education. Setting . Gdansk region in Poland. Methods . The data were gathered between September and December 2008 by the use of a questionnaire prepared for the purpose of this study, completed anonymously and in person by the young women. Results . Sexual activity had been initiated by 67.2% of the women studied at a mean age of 18.7 years (±1.97). Assessment was made of changes in their contraceptive practice between the time of sexual initiation and later sexual activity. Since their first experience of intercourse 67.0% did not change their contraceptive methods. As many as 40.1% continued using either low effective methods or no contraception. Early sexual initiation was linked to a significantly lower likelihood of highly effective contraception, more frequent unprotected sexual intercourse and more sexual partners ( p < 0.05). Over half of women assigned to a ‘high‐risk’ group with regard to the chance of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection, declared that their behavior did not carry any risk, similar ( p > 0.05) to those who did not have a history of hazardous behavior. Conclusion . Sexual behavior differentiates Polish women from the women in Western Europe. Despite the welcome tendency toward choosing reliable contraceptives, use of appropriate contraception is still insufficient.