Sexual behaviour and contraceptive practice of undergraduates at Oxford University

Abstract

At the end of the 4th week of the Hilary Term 1977, 1006 male and 1009 female undergraduates at Oxford University were sent a questionnaire enquiring about their sexual behaviour and contraceptive practice. Of the 862 women and 634 men who replied, 512 women (59%) and 332 men (52%) had experienced sexual intercourse, 396 women and 191 men in the 4-week period preceding receipt of the questionnaire. No contraception had been used by 27 % of the women on the first occasion that they had had intercourse; during the 4-week period preceding receipt of the questionnaire 10% of sexually active women had had intercourse on one or more occasions without using a contraceptive. The use of contraception increased with the frequency of intercourse and the stability of the relationship. Thirty-one women had been pregnant in the past; none was known to be pregnant at the time of the survey, although sixteen suspected that they might be. Ninety per cent of the students approved of the free distribution of a booklet on contraception and related matters to all undergraduates.

Adolescent contraceptive behavior: A review.

“…As discussed earlier, Kantner and Zelnik (1973;Shah et al, 1975;Zelnik & Kantner, 1977) did find that women's contraceptive use increases with age. Other studies with younger adolescent respondents found similar effects (Furstenberg et al, 1983;Herold, 1981b;Steinlauf, 1979), but most studies of college-age subjects did not (Anderson et al, 1978;DeLameter & Mac-Corquodale, 1979;Hill, Peplau, & Rubin, 1983;Reissetal., 1975).…”

“…Differences in contraceptive use between Catholics, Protestants, and Jews are quite small (Anderson et al, 1978;Angrist, 1966;Garris etal., 1976;Geis&Gerrard, 1984;Goldsmith etal., 1972;Hill etal., 1983;Kantner & Zelnik, 1973). The major denominational difference in contraceptive use found by Kantner and Zelnik is intra-Protestant between fundamentalists and nonfundamentalists.…”

“…Over half of both male and female college students in Bauman’s (1970) study and in Maxwell et al’s (1977) study said that they did not use contraception because they were not expecting to have intercourse, and about a quarter of the younger women in Zelnik and Kantner’s 1976 sample also gave this reason. A related response that may tap the same underlying feeling is that contraception was not used because it would make sex “seem planned,” “premeditated,” or less “spontaneous” (Anderson et al, 1978; Bauman, 1970; Finkel & Finkel, 1975; Maxwell et al, 1977; Rogel et al, 1980; Sorensen, 1973).…”

Frequency of intercourse and contraceptive choice

“…Frequency of sexual encounters is positively related to contraceptive use (Anderson et al, 1978;Cvetkovich & Grote, 1981;Foreit & Foreit, 1978;Geis & Gerrard, 1984). Infrequent sexual activity is often stated as a reason for sporadic use or non-use of contraception (Evans, Selstad & Welcher, 1976;Zelnick & Kanter, 1977), though Herold & McNamee (1982) found no direct association between frequency of intercourse and efficient contraceptive use.…”

Sexual behaviour and contraceptive practice at Oxford and Aberdeen universities

“…In 1971, 45% of single female undergraduates at Aberdeen University who were sexually active did not always use satisfactory contraceptive methods (McCance & Hall, 1972), compared to 10% at Oxford University in 1977 (Anderson et al, 1978). The greater use of contraception at Oxford was interpreted as due to a better awareness and availability of contraceptive services that occurred during the 6-year interval between the two studies.…”