"To Use or Not to Use": Young Adult Men and the Contraceptive Decision

Renata Forste, Brigham Young University
David W. Haas, Brigham Young University

Using data from the three waves of the National Survey of Adolescent Males we model the effects of background factors, attitudes, past sexual experiences, and relationship type (marriage, cohabitation, or dating) on contraceptive use within current sexual unions. Based on the reports of young adult men, we examine whether the couple used no method, a male method, a female method, or both a male and female method at last intercourse. Preliminary results indicate large differences in the likelihood of contraception being used as well as the type of contraception used depending on the relationship context. Married men report the lowest use of contraceptives, particularly male methods, whereas men in dating relationships report the highest likelihood of using a male method. Additional analyses also examine the effect of relationship type and background factors on the likelihood of the couple discussing contraception prior to engaging in sexual activity.