Avoiding unwanted pregnancy--the role of communication, information and knowledge in the use of contraception among young Norwegian women.

Despite relatively easy access to contraceptives, a liberal attitude to pregnancies out of wedlock and a widespread family planning education in schools, too a high number of adolescent women in Oslo, the capital of Norway, become pregnant and resort to abortions. The aim of this study was to identify some new entry points to sexuality, contraceptive, abortion and post-abortion counselling. Using a qualitative approach, we interviewed 102 young women in Oslo who were seeking either an abortion or contraceptives. The study demonstrated that contraceptive awareness is good, but that there are different levels of consistency in contraceptive use among women, and that even women with few partners and fairly good contraceptive compliance sometimes experience unplanned pregnancy. The study reviews some issues of importance where communication with young women could be improved. These issues include better formal information about OCs, increased information on emergency contraception, better condom promotion, and an attempt to involve better informed adults, including paramedical professional counselling. In addition, contraceptive prescriptions should accord to the type of behaviour and the relationships the young women have.