Does Age Influence Knowledge and Attitudes About Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)? [7A

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The IUD is considered excellent birth control, but United States usage lags behind that of similar countries. Barriers to usage include patient attitudes and lack of education, fueling misperceptions and unawareness. We sought to identify if attitudes and knowledge about the IUD vary by age. METHODS: From June 13 to July 18, 2016, all women in an obstetrics & gynecology outpatient office of a large urban academic medical center were asked to participate in a 94 question survey. Women were excluded if they could not read English or were younger than 14 years of age. Surveys included detailed questions about participant demographic characteristics and knowledge and opinions of IUDs. We hypothesized that older women would hold more negative opinions. We performed an exploratory bivariable analysis using t tests and chi square testing to determine which outcomes differed by participant age. For those appearing to differ significantly by age, we performed regression analysis to assess for confounding by other demographic factors. RESULTS: Of 1,366 women approached, 521 completed the survey. Few survey items differed significantly by age. Self-reported IUD knowledge (P=.024), having ever used an IUD (P=.009), thinking the IUD is reliable (P=.025), and agreement with the statements “IUD insertion requires surgery” (P=.046) and “Hormonal birth control is safe and effective” (P=.012) were statistically significantly different. After controlling for confounders only responses to the statement “Hormonal birth control is safe and effective” retained significance. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that attitudes and knowledge about IUDs do not differ significantly by age.