Contraceptive methods: Knowledge sources rated by women and men

People today Live amid a welter of information regarding contraception, and health care professionals have been the most prominent sources to which pe ople turn. This study evaluates the relative importance of various informat ion sources and ascertains the position of the physicians among them. Rando m samples (393 women and 395 men) were drawn from the Finnish population. R esponse rates were 56% for women and 45% for men. The respondents were aske d to estimate the amount of knowledge they had obtained from various source s on a visual analog scale. The three most important sources for women were literature, physicians, and women's journals. For men, literature and the spouse/partner were the most prominent. The youngest age groups-women and m en alike-had received more information from the school nurse and the teache r than older groups. Physicians have a central role as information sources. They should be aware of other information sources in the community and sho uld adapt their own work accordingly CONTRACEPTION 1999;59:257-263 (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.