‘It’s just a very personal thing’: contraceptive influences and decision making among women living in Italy

DeMaria, Andrea L.; Rivera, Sydney; Ramos‐Ortiz, Jaziel; Meier, Simon; Wakefield, Audrey L.; Basile, Kelsie; Evans, Jalynn M; Zaininger, Hannah Marie; Clayton, Anyia

doi:10.1080/13625187.2019.1615616

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Over the past decade, hormonal contraceptives have increasingly been criticized by women, leading to a growing desire for more natural solutions [38,39]. Criticism of hormonal contraceptives has included physical side effects; an (unwanted) influence on mental health; a negative impact on sexuality; concerns about future fertility; concerns about menstruation; and experiencing fears and anxiety [21,38,[40][41][42][43]. These factors resulted in a demand for alternatives that do not interfere with the natural hormone balance of the body [21,38,[44][45][46].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between classic indicators of health behaviour and contraceptive choices in women in Flanders

Van Eekert,

Biegel,

De Kort

et al. 2024

BMC Women's Health

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Background In this study we shed light on ongoing trends in contraceptive use in Flanders (Belgium). Building on the fundamental cause theory and social diffusion of innovation theory, we examine socio-economic gradients in contraceptive use and the relationship to health behaviours. Methods Using the unique and recently collected (2020) ISALA data, we used multinomial logistic regression to model the uptake of contraceptives and its association to educational level and health behaviour (N:4316 women). Results Higher educated women, and women with a healthy lifestyle especially, tend to use non-hormonal contraceptives or perceived lower-dosage hormonal contraceptives that are still trustworthy from a medical point of view. Moreover, we identified a potentially vulnerable group in terms of health as our results indicate that women who do not engage in preventive health behaviours are more likely to use no, or no modern, contraceptive method. Discussion The fact that higher educated women and women with a healthy lifestyle are less likely to use hormonal contraceptive methods is in line with patient empowerment, as women no longer necessarily follow recommendations by healthcare professionals, and there is a growing demand for naturalness in Western societies. Conclusion The results of this study can therefore be used to inform policy makers and reproductive healthcare professionals, since up-to-date understanding of women’s contraceptive choices is clearly needed in order to develop effective strategies to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies, and in which women can take control over their sexuality and fertility in a comfortable and pleasurable way.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between classic indicators of health behaviour and contraceptive choices in women in Flanders

Van Eekert,

Biegel,

De Kort

et al. 2024

BMC Women's Health

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“…This confirms findings from other surveillance systems reporting declining trends in condom use in several countries [ 5 , 12 ]. The high cost of condoms, misinformation, social situation, and religious beliefs may influence adolescents’ decisions and contribute to a lower use of contraceptive methods [ 26 ]. Furthermore, in line with other studies, females showed less frequent use of condoms than males in our study [ 12 , 27 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors and Wellbeing: A 10 Year Observation from the EDIT Surveillance of Tuscany Region, Italy

Lastrucci

Lazzeretti²,

Innocenti³

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends of prevalence of health risk behaviors (HRBs) and health conditions over a 10 year period (2008–2018) in a representative sample of adolescents of Tuscany Region, Italy. Methods: This was a repeated cross-sectional (four survey waves) study. The prevalence of 17 HRBs and health conditions were analyzed by age, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). Results: A total of 21,943 students were surveyed. During the study period, decreases in smoking participation, cocaine use, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and problem gambling were observed, while alcohol abuse and at-risk sexual behaviors remained unchanged or increased. Males resulted more frequently involved in most of the HRBs, while females more frequently reported physical inactivity, regular smoking, and not using a condom. Female participation in smoking and alcohol abuse behaviors, fruit and vegetable consumption, and bullying worsened over the study period. Smoking, poor dietary habits, physical inactivity, high distress level, and obesity were more frequently observed in low-SES students than in high-SES students. Conclusions: The findings showed different tendencies in adolescent participation in HRBs over the last decade; concerning trends in at-risk sexual behaviors and alcohol consumption and females’ risk-taking behavior on the rise require careful monitoring.

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“…In fact, contraception provision in Italy was found to be lower than in most developed European countries, such as England, France, and Spain, with Italian women frequently preferring less reliable contraceptive methods and thus more likely to have unplanned births. [3][4][5] Italy's approach to providing contraception is mixed and inconsistent among the country's regions. To try to limit the need for abortion, the public health service provides free family counseling centers to assist pregnant women with problems that may lead them to seek an abortion, such as psychological fragility, lack of family support, or economic troubles.…”

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confidence: 99%

Reduced Abortion Rates and Improved Provision of Counseling and Contraception Services: Analysis of a Regional Campaign for Young Women in Italy

et al. 2022

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Through its national health system, Italy provides legal and free abortion through the third month for any reason and through the sixth month for maternal or fetal health problems, but one of the public health goals specified in Italian legislation is to minimize its use. One barrier to achieving this goal is inconsistent access to prescription contraception. Six out of 20 Italian regions offer free contraception programs paid for by the national health system. Tuscany was the most recent region to introduce such a program, in November 2018. The authors studied the impact of this program using regional administrative health data to compare the 3-year period before and the 2-year period after its introduction. They computed rates of abortion, contraception uptake, access to counseling centers, conception, and use of outpatient services for sexually transmitted diseases. Their analysis revealed positive effects on teenage conception and on overall utilization of outpatient services for sexually transmitted diseases and strongly suggests that this program has been effective in reducing abortions by promoting access to counseling and contraception services among young women.In Italy, abortion is a free service guaranteed to all women for any reason during the first trimester and for maternal or fetal health issues during the second trimester, although individual NEJM Catalyst is produced by NEJM Group, a division of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

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‘It’s just a very personal thing’: contraceptive influences and decision making among women living in Italy

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

Relationship between classic indicators of health behaviour and contraceptive choices in women in Flanders

Relationship between classic indicators of health behaviour and contraceptive choices in women in Flanders

Trends in Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors and Wellbeing: A 10 Year Observation from the EDIT Surveillance of Tuscany Region, Italy

Reduced Abortion Rates and Improved Provision of Counseling and Contraception Services: Analysis of a Regional Campaign for Young Women in Italy

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