Reproductive Health volume 20 , Article number: 89 Cite this article. Metrics details. The use of modern contraceptive methods among adolescents and youth is a public health priority to prevent unintended pregnancies. To our knowledge, no study has ever explored and documented factors promoting contraceptive use among urban adolescents and youth in Guinea.
The objective of this study was to explore the factors that promote the use of contraceptive methods at the personal, interpersonal, community, and health system levels among urban adolescents and youth in Guinea. We conducted a qualitative research study including twenty-six individual in-depth interviews among adolescents and youth, and 10 group interviews with an additional eighty individuals, for a total of participants.
The socio-ecological model was used to orient both data collection and analysis. Data were collected from June to October Both individual and group interviews were audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatims afterwards. Data was analyzed thematically, using deductive codes. The individual factors favoring contraceptive use among adolescents and youth pertained to perceived benefits of the methods e.
The community factors included socio-cultural beliefs about the methods, and community expectation not to get pregnant before marriage. This qualitative research shows that many adolescents and youth living in Conakry use a variety of contraceptive methods, whether modern, traditional Access to free or affordable methods, discretion of method use, proximity and availability of methods, and suggestions of methods by peers are factors that motivate adolescents and youth to use contraception.
In order to optimally facilitate the use of modern contraception among adolescent and young urban Guineans, we recommend that: 1 adolescents and youth have access to public health strategies enabling them to learn about, obtain, and use methods in a way that allows them to remain discreet; 2 the use of modern contraceptive methods be promoted by peers; and 3 health care providers and peers be adequately trained to have accurate and up-to-date knowledge about the different contraceptive methods available, demonstrate clinical skills for teaching and for method placement if applicable , and show appropriate attitudes toward this population.
