Anant Monika, Sinha Kajal, Agrawal Ananya
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.
Netaji Subhas Medical College and Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihta, Patna, India.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2021 Dec;10(12):4431-4437. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_246_21. Epub 2021 Dec 27.
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), a highly effective class of contraceptives, has a limited uptake by few couples due to lack of awareness, unavailability, and myths surrounding their application and side effects.
This study was undertaken to understand and to clear myths of LARC among patients as well as to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and preference.
A hospital-based cross-sectional study using a semistructured questionnaire was conducted in the out-patient Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in a tertiary level hospital in Eastern India. A total of 600 women responded to the structured validated questionnaire.
High prevalence of teenage marriages (64%), teenage pregnancies (44%), and unwanted pregnancy (41%) was noted among responders. The knowledge scores were low in 66.7%, moderate in 26.66%, and only 6.66% had high level >80% scores in the 15 questions about LARC methods. While 41% had a positive attitude to future use of LARC, a majority (59%) had a strong negative attitude due to many myths of genital tract infections, discharges, and cancer, changed menstrual bleeding patterns, delayed conception after discontinuation, and altered sexual functions. Out of those with a positive attitude, 21% of women had a preference for intrauterine devices, 19.5% of women for injectables, and only 0.5% of women preferred contraceptive implants. 24.5% of women had used LARC in their lifetime but a meager 5% were currently using them.
The study shows that there is a huge unmet need for spacing contraceptive methods as childbearing spacing is not maintained. There were lack of correct knowledge and awareness, and numerous myths surrounding LARC methods.
长效可逆避孕法（LARC）是一类高效的避孕方法，但由于缺乏认识、难以获取以及围绕其应用和副作用的误解，很少有夫妇采用。
本研究旨在了解并消除患者对LARC的误解，同时评估他们的知识、态度、做法和偏好。
在印度东部一家三级医院的妇产科门诊进行了一项基于医院的横断面研究，采用半结构化问卷。共有600名女性对结构化的有效问卷做出了回应。
在回应者中，青少年婚姻（64%）、青少年怀孕（44%）和意外怀孕（41%）的发生率很高。在关于LARC方法的15个问题中，66.7%的人的知识得分低，26.66%的人得分中等，只有6.66%的人得分高（>80%）。虽然41%的人对未来使用LARC持积极态度，但大多数人（59%）由于对生殖道感染、分泌物和癌症、月经出血模式改变、停药后受孕延迟以及性功能改变等诸多误解而持强烈消极态度。在持积极态度的人中，21%的女性偏好宫内节育器，19.5%的女性偏好注射剂，只有0.5%的女性偏好避孕植入物。24.5%的女性一生中使用过LARC，但目前只有5%的人在使用。
研究表明，由于未保持生育间隔，对间隔避孕方法存在巨大的未满足需求。对LARC方法缺乏正确的知识和认识，且存在诸多误解。
