- Few married youth use contraceptives before first
birth
- After becoming sexually active, unmarried youth
delay use of contraceptives about a year
- Common reasons for non-use of contraceptives among
unmarried youth:
- did not expect to have sex
- lacked information about contraception
- lacked access to contraceptives
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Few married youth use contraception before the birth of their
first child. Among unmarried youth, a U.S. study found that
young people typically delay using contraception until about
a year after beginning sexual activity. In surveys in Latin
America and in Kenya, unmarried youth say the main reason they
did not use contraception was because they did not expect to
have sex at that time. Sexual activity tends to be sporadic
and unplanned among young adults.
Two other common reasons youth give in surveys is that they
lack information about contraceptives and they lack access to
contraceptives. For example, surveys in Nigeria and Guatemala
showed that without accurate information, youth may have unnecessary
fears about the effects of contraception on their health. Even
if youth know about contraceptives, such as condoms or pills,
they often do not know where to get them or how to use them
correctly. Young men mention lack of knowledge more than young
women. Also, men do not usually see contraception as their responsibility.
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