Barriers and facilitators to contraceptive use
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identifying barriers and facilitators to contraceptive use among women who inject drugs in Dundee
IRAS ID
279727
Contact name
Vera Feruza Nuritova
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee / NHS Tayside
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 21 days
Research summary
Women of reproductive age who inject drugs experience some of the poorest sexual and reproductive health outcomes compared to the general population, including poor contraceptive use, high rates of unintended pregnancies, negative pregnancy outcomes and high rates of children in out-of-home care.One important but under-researched approach to reducing unintended pregnancies is increasing the use of more effective contraceptives (e.g. birth control pill, implant) among women who inject drugs at risk of unplanned pregnancy. One way in which this goal can be achieved is to gain a better understanding of the reasons why women choose certain contraceptive methods or why they avoid these methods. Although some evidence exists for condom use among people who inject drugs, little is known of non-condom contraception use in women injecting drugs. Women who use and inject drugs are underrepresented and under-researched in controlled trials, and we have limited understanding of their specific needs and the underlying complexities related to uptake of more effective contraceptives and the choices women make about their contraception. Therefore, it is important to understand how individual, interpersonal, and health professional’s level factors interconnect to influence women who inject drugs’ use of contraception.
The objective of this research is to gain a better understanding of the unique factors associated with contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy among women who inject drugs in Dundee, UK. The specific objectives are to investigate: 1) participants’ attitudes towards contraception; 2) perceptions around the barriers and facilitators to contraceptive use in women who inject drugs; and 3) contraceptive knowledge and drug use among women who inject drugs.
An estimated 15 women who inject drugs and 15 service providers (or until theme saturation is reached) will be asked to take part in a qualitative interview to ascertain their knowledge and attitudes towards contraceptive use, perceived barriers and facilitators influencing uptake of contraceptive methods among women who inject drugs and preferences for interventions.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 1
REC reference
20/WS/0060
Date of REC Opinion
19 May 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion