Exploring the Contraceptive Embarrassment and Contraceptive Use Among Unmarried Female College Students in Metro Manila

Abstract

The global failure to protect women's rights and the lack of comprehensive sexual education contribute to barriers to effective contraceptive use, including limited knowledge, harmful social norms, and stigma surrounding contraception. Consequently, unintended pregnancies remain prevalent. While numerous studies exist exploring the phenomenon of contraceptive embarrassment and contraceptive use among adolescents, local literature on this topic is lacking. This quantitative study aims to bridge this gap by distributing structured questionnaires distributed through social media platforms. The data collected from unmarried female college students in Metro Manila focused on contraceptive awareness, frequency and behavior of use, primary sources, and levels of embarrassment. The findings revealed a high level of awareness and utilization of over-the-counter contraceptives, primarily obtained from pharmacies, convenience stores, and online platforms. However, no significant correlation was found between contraceptive use and embarrassment, although a weak negative association was observed. This study emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive sexual education and destigmatization of pre-marital sex and contraceptives. Empowering young women to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health is crucial. With this, policymakers are urged to develop sensitive and destigmatized sexual and reproductive health education programs. Additionally, future studies should consider larger sample sizes to further investigate the relationship between contraceptive embarrassment and use among unmarried female college students in Metro Manila.