A qualitative analysis of accounts of hormonal contraceptive use: Experiences and beliefs of British adolescents

OBJECTIVES: Britain has high rates of unintended adolescent pregnancy compared to other European countries. Relatively little is known about the beliefs, attitudes and experiences of using hormonal contraceptive methods amongst middle-class adolescents, and mention of their views in the literature will add to the knowledge in this area. The current qualitative study addresses these issues to some extent. METHODS: Middle-class 16-18-year-old men and women were interviewed about their understanding and use of hormonal contraceptives. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and transcripts subjected to an adaptation of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). RESULTS: Six emergent themes represent important aspects of these adolescents' experiences: negative experiences, experiences unrelated to pregnancy prevention, mistrust of the pill, risk reduction, issues of communication and trust, and perceptions of pill promotion by adults. CONCLUSIONS: The findings illustrate the complexities inherent in contraceptive health care in relation to hormonal methods and highlight not only potential targets for enhancing effective use, but the importance of the way such information is disseminated.