A contracepção como um valor: histórias de jovens sobre desafios no uso e manejo dos métodos

Resumo

This article presents results from the social anthropological study “Young people in the digital age” conducted with interlocutors aged 16 to 24, from six Brazilian cities. Our focus falls on the management of contraception among heterosexual adolescents and young people, especially women, given their central position in reproductive planning in hierarchical gender contexts. We present the typical script for youth contraception: use of condoms at sexual initiation, followed by the incorporation of hormonal methods and/or withdrawal. Use of emergency contraception is also common. Women report the experience of side effects from hormonal contraception, resulting in abandonment or discontinuity and interest in the copper IUD, considered not very accessible in the Public Health System. We conclude that, despite gender constraints and social, ethnic, and racial inequalities, the interviewees value contraception, offering insights for the review and improvement of public policies for young people.