Factors related to choosing oral contraception at age 15

1339 ninth grade girls aged 15-16 years from schools in southern and western Finland were administered questionnaires on maturation relationships dating and sexual behaviors during 1988 and 1992. 389 sexually experienced girls of mean age 15.8 years who answered the question on oral contraceptive (OC) use were included in the analysis of which factors are related to the use of OC at an early age. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare the 121 OC users with nonusers. The total number of coital experiences was found to be associated with OC use. Specifically the odds ratio for OC use among girls having at least 10 coital experiences was 6.30 compared to girls who had experienced only one episode of intercourse. 73% of OC users and 30% of nonusers had engaged in at least 10 acts of sexual intercourse. 67% and 30% of girls using OC and not using OC respectively felt that their parents accepted their sexual relationship. Only 9% of OC users feared becoming pregnant compared to 31% of nonusers. 31% and 13% of OC users and nonusers respectively felt sex to be very important to them. Low age at menarche having a steady dating partner and infrequent visits to discos were positively associated with OC use.