AWARENESS OF CONTRACEPTION USE AMONG FEMALES IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

Background:Over the past few decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the general population awareness regarding the usage of contraception. effective strategies should be implemented to raise awareness of the appropriate use of contraceptives among Saudi population. Study aim: This study aims to assess the level of awareness of contraceptive use among females and male participation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A quantitative approach was utilized, with a cross-sectional design. The participants was selected through convenience sampling from Riyadh. The data was collected through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographic characteristics, awareness and attitudes towards contraceptive methods, contraceptive use and male participation, and access to contraceptive services. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results:The study included 503 participants, 39.6% of them were 31- 40 years old. 80.7% of participants used contraceptives before (75.6% of them used oral pills, 41.9% used IUD, and 32.3% used condoms). 46.6% used contraception always, 30.8% a lot, and 21.4% use it scarcely. 31% of study participants have good awareness score, 55.7% have moderate awareness, and 13.3% have poor awareness. Also, 17% of participants have weak perception score, 20.2% had moderate perception, and 62.8% had good perception scores. Conclusion:The study illustrates low awareness and perception of contraceptives among studied females in Saudi Arabia. A significant association between awareness scores of participants regarding contraceptives with their age, educational level, marital status, job and monthly income. However, perception of contraceptives was not associated with any of the sociodemographic characters.