Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 26;16(12):e76400.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.76400. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Knowledge of the Benefits and Risks of Oral Contraceptive Use Among Women of Reproductive Age in Western Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Anwar Salem  1 , Nusaybah Shafi  1 , Shajn S Alsaadi  1 , Fatimah Klantan  1 , Danah S Alhajjaji  1 , Rojinah Allihyani  1 , Mazen Daghestani  2
Affiliations

Knowledge of the Benefits and Risks of Oral Contraceptive Use Among Women of Reproductive Age in Western Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Anwar Salem et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction: For women of reproductive age, oral contraceptives (OCs) are a well-liked and practical way to control pregnancy. OCs are also used to treat acne, irregular uterine bleeding, and premenstrual syndrome. However, there are false beliefs regarding their benefits and risks. The primary health benefits of OCs are the reduction of acne, the risk of colon, ovarian, and endometrial cancer, and the risk of osteoporosis. Other benefits include the reduction of the risk of endometriosis, fibroid tumors, menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, benign breast illness, and ovarian cysts. The objective of this study was to assess the level of awareness among women of reproductive age in western Saudi Arabia regarding the benefits and risks of OCs.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was used to gather data from women aged 15-49 in western Saudi Arabia. The study used an online questionnaire designed using Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States) that was distributed electronically via social media apps in Arabic language. Data was collected in Excel sheets (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States) and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). After determining our study population, we calculated the sample size using OpenEpi version 3.0.

Results: A total of 588 Saudi women participated in the study and revealed that only 13.6% had an excellent understanding of OCs. The primary sources of information about oral contraceptives were friends and relatives (n=268, 45.6%), followed closely by physicians (n=255, 43.5%). Other sources included reading reliable materials, social media, and personal experience. The sources of information were strongly linked to the participants' knowledge levels. Among those who sourced their information from reading reliable sources, 25.1% (n=42) exhibited good overall knowledge, while 22% (n=27) of those who relied on social media, 16% (n=41) of those who were informed by their physician, and only 3.2% (n=1) of those without any information source demonstrated a similar level of understanding.

Conclusions: The study highlights a lack of knowledge among reproductive-age women in western Saudi Arabia about the benefits and risks of OCs. It underscores the need for targeted educational initiatives to enhance awareness and understanding. By improving knowledge, healthcare providers can empower women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Ongoing research and advocacy are essential to ensure access to accurate information and support, ultimately aiming for better reproductive health outcomes in the region.

Keywords: associated; awareness; oral contraception; risks and benefits; western region of saudi arabia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. ‏Institutional Research Board at Umm Al-Qura University issued approval HAPO-02-K-012-2023-10-1793. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Participants’ overall knowledge about the benefits of oral contraceptives
Data presented as n (%)
Figure 2
Figure 2. Participants’ sources of information about oral contraceptives
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Quality of life and mental health in adolescent users of oral contraceptives. Results from the nationwide, representative German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) Lewandowski SK, Duttge G, Meyer T. Qual Life Res. 2020;29:2209–2218. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Awareness of contraceptives and their use among Saudi women attending primary care centers in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ashoor R, Alrashid S, Alruhaimi S, Alanazi S, Alzahrani H, Alshammari YS, Alotaibi A. Cureus. 2023;15:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Women’s contraceptive preference-use mismatch. He K, Dalton VK, Zochowski MK, Hall KS. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2017;26:692–701. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Knowledge, attitude, and use of oral contraceptive pills among Saudi women seen at the primary care clinics of Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Alotaibi MM, Shiddo O, Ghoraba M. J Med Sci Clin Res. 2018;6:974–981.
    1. Awareness and use of contraceptives among Saudi women attending primary care centers in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Al Sheeha M. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068803/ Int J Health Sci (Qassim) 2010;4:11–21. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources