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.
