Qualitative Perspectives on Contraceptive Usage From Christian College Students
Type of Submission
Poster
Campus Venue
Dixon Ministry Center, Alumni Hall
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-10-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2013 5:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Apr 10th, 1:00 PM
Apr 10th, 5:00 PM
Qualitative Perspectives on Contraceptive Usage From Christian College Students
Cedarville, OH
Comments
Abstract:
Christian and secular views of health often do not align, specifically in the area of contraceptives and sexual activity. The Christian community has traditionally believed that abstinence is the healthiest choice and has often rejected contraceptives as a viable option for sex outside of a marriage context. However, in today's culture of casual sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted teenage pregnancy, contraceptives seem to be a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle for many individuals. This study delves into the attitudes of Christian college students about these topics to further understand why the attitudes of the religious differ from the secular world. A qualitative research model allowed us to obtain rich information that is not possible to the same degree with quantitative research. Our goal was depth rather than breadth, as we wanted to understand at a deeper level why Christian students have the beliefs and attitudes they do about contraceptive usage. Twenty randomly selected students (11 females, 9 males) from a Cedarville University General Psychology class were interviewed individually. There were four areas of interest in this study: general questions about sex, their sex education history, the moral and health implications of contraceptives, and scenario questions designed to illicit reactions to situations involving risky sexual behavior and/or contraceptive use. We found that there is a seeming lack of sex education, and strong moral opinions on contraceptive use and sexual activity that depend on the context of their usage. This study reveals interesting findings about the thoughts and attitudes of Christian students about contraceptives and sexual behaviors. It is beneficial for religious communities to see where traditional education methods are falling short and to understand the viewpoint of a group of people so that when controversy rises there is a deeper understanding of the opposing beliefs and attitudes.