An Exploratory Study on the Factors Affecting the Contraceptive Behavior of College Women

Abstract

This study focused on the contraceptive behavior of female college students. It aimed to identify and explore the factors, internal and external, affecting the contraceptive behavior of female college students in Metro Manila. It also sought to determine the prevalence of protective and risky contraceptive behaviors among college women. The variables taken into account were sexual behaviors and experiences, family influence, educational priority, awareness of contraception, values and perceptions towards the use of contraception, and relationship with romantic partner. The respondents were 385 female college students from different universities and colleges in Metro Manila. The respondents should be sexually active or at least had sexual intercourse in the past six months. Data was gathered through a survey questionnaire constructed by the author and tested for reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. The data gathered was encoded, and analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, mean, mode, standard deviation, multiple linear regression analysis and Chi-Square test. Results show that majority of female college students do not practice protective contraceptive behavior. Spontaneity of sexual intercourse is also a trend among the sample population. In addition, the most popular contraceptive method among the samples is condom, followed by withdrawal method, calendar method and birth control pills. Using regression analysis, factors that are highly predictive of the contraceptive behavior of the respondents are determined. These variables are educational priority, values towards the use of contraception, and relationship with romantic partner. Recommendations regarding the promotion of protective contraceptive behavior and contraceptive devices through education of the youth were made based on the results.