A study of the knowledge and attitudes of contraceptives by people between age 16 and 20 in the Mambumbu Village, Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract

The use of contraceptives remains to be a serious challenge to young people. The use of contraception by young people remains low and many them are still engaging in unprotected sex. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of young people towards the use of contraception by focusing on the knowledge, attitudes and barriers that young people encounter when accessing contraceptives. The study was qualitative in nature. Purposive sampling was used in this study. The participants were young people from Mambumbu Village, Bushbuckridge Local Municipality in Ehlanzeni District in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The participants were between the age 16 and 20 years. Interviews were used to collect the data from the participants and the data were analysed using content analysis. The study revealed that young people had knowledge about contraceptives and were aware of the existence of different types of contraceptive methods. The low uptake of contraceptives among young people was influenced by barriers that include accessibility of health facilities, influence from partners in a relationship, the lack of communication between them and their parents and the lack of support from culture and the church on the use of contraception.

Keywords: Young people, Contraception, Unplanned pregnancy, Reproductive Health, Awareness of contraception, Barriers to contraception and Attitudes