Contraceptive behavior in higher education students

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of contraceptive method use among higher education students, as well as reported side effects and adaptation to the method used. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 749 participants through a structured questionnaire applied via Google Forms. Results: It was observed that 74.5% of participants used some contraceptive method, with oral hormonal contraceptives being the most frequent (49.8%), followed by hormonal intrauterine devices (12.1%), copper intrauterine devices (7.6%), and subdermal implants (5.3%). The use of male condoms as a primary contraceptive method was infrequent. Regarding side effects, 42.3% of participants reported no symptoms. Among those who experienced adverse effects, the most common were menstrual irregularities, headache, weight gain, and breast pain. Adaptation to the contraceptive method was high (88.7% among respondents); however, 53.4% of participants expressed interest in switching to long-acting reversible contraceptives. Conclusion: It is concluded that, despite the high prevalence of contraceptive use, user-dependent methods predominate, and condom use remains low. The growing interest in long-acting methods suggests a potential shift in contraceptive patterns among young women.