Young men's everyday life experiences with contraception and unintended pregnancy in Papua New Guinea.

Abstract

Unintended adolescent pregnancy is a public health priority in Papua New Guinea (PNG), where national policies specify need for easier access to reliable modern contraceptives. To reduce young people's experiences of unintended pregnancy in PNG, improved understandings of use of modern and other forms of contraception within young people's relationships is required to support the development of new sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs and policies. The aim of this paper is to understand young men's use of modern and other contraceptives. This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 35 sexually active young men aged 15-24 years, who were sampled purposively from the general population within community-based settings. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis techniques. Our analysis of young men's everyday experiences of using condoms and other contraceptives highlights clear drivers of unintended adolescent pregnancies. Across three settings, these included non-use of any modern method at first sex or during early sexual experiences; inconsistent use of condoms, often only after first pregnancy experiences; difficulties accessing condoms from health service providers, pharmacies and stores; a lack of understanding of other modern contraceptive strategies; inconsistent use of the withdrawal method; and inconsistent and incorrect use of calendar approaches due to misunderstandings about women's fertile period. Ten young men had never used any form of contraception. These occurred largely because young men's sexual agency is constrained within sexual and peer relationships, and community, school and health service settings, in ways that inhibit pregnancy prevention. It is important to engage meaningfully with young men to build sexual and reproductive health policies and programs that pay honest, respectful attention to young people's everyday sexual and social lives. Young men's everyday stories provide a unique lens through which we can identify mechanisms of change required to address the health and social inequities associated with unintended pregnancy among young men and young women in PNG and beyond.