ATTENDERS AT YOUNG PEOPLES CLINICS IN SOUTHAMPTON - VARIATIONS IN CONTRACEPTIVE USE

This paper presents findings from a survey of 424 people attending nin e young people's clinics within the Southampton Community Health NHS T rust. In addition to recording some descriptive background data on the people attending the clinics, one major aim of the study was to inves tigate whether talking to the sexual partner about contraception befor e their first intercourse together and delaying this first intercourse influenced contraceptive use. Overall, 40 per cent of people attendin g the clinics were aged 16 or under although there was some variation between clinics in the age groups attracted. Most clients were female (88 per cent), had ever had sexual intercourse (92 per cent), reported four or more lifetime partners (42 per cent) but only one partner wit hin the last six months (73 per cent) and were currently in a relation ship (75 per cent). Potential for contraception and sexually transmitt ed infection was widespread; 46 per cent (of non-virgins) had had inte rcourse without contraception at least 'a few times' and 18 per cent u sed condoms 'rarely' or 'never'. In terms of first intercourse with cu rrent/most recent partner; 17 per cent had riot used any contraception and 32 per cent had failed to use condoms. The most important finding s from this study were that use of contraception (and condoms in parti cular) on the occasion of first intercourse with the current or most r ecent partner was significantly associated with the following; if patt erns had talked to each other about contraception before having interc ourse together for the first time (p<0.001), and also if this first in tercourse was delayed beyond four weeks as opposed to over a few days of first 'going-out' together (p<0.001). Suggestions for further in-de pth research are made.