From TODAY, News
Thursday November 20, 2008
Sexual Responsibility Survey
Findings show women are ignorant about contraception, risks of getting pregnant
Alicia Wong
A 20-year-old patient stepped into Dr Janet Lee’s clinic complaining that she had not had her period for six months.
Upon examination, the doctor discovered that her patient was six months’ pregnant. The young woman should have been able to detect fetal movements by then, said Dr Lee, but the patient had not noticed any symptoms.
In another instance, a 16-yearold mistook her pregnancy as gastric pain. “She said: ‘How could it be? It was my first and only time.’ But with each instance of unprotected sex, you can always get pregnant,” stressed Dr Lee.
The two cases lend anecdotal support to the results of an annual survey which showed that while fewer younger women were sexually active compared to those polled last year, their knowledge of the risks of unplanned pregnancies had dropped as well.
Conducted by the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) and pharmaceutical firm Bayer Schering Pharma Singapore, the survey found only 55 per cent of women realised the chance of getting pregnant, if one has consistent unprotected sex throughout a month, is 40 per cent. In last year’s survey, 75 per cent of respondents were aware of such a risk.
Dr Lee, from Temasek Medical Centre, said: “There is a steep drop in women’s knowledge of unwanted pregnancy risk.”
Dr Beh Suan Tiong, the OGSS’ president, explained that despite public education efforts, people continue to believe that “it won’t happen to me”.
In its third year, the “Say Yes!” to Sexual Responsibility survey aims to discover young women’s contraception knowledge and sexual practices.
Of the 814 respondents, who were between 20 and 35 years old, 61 per cent were sexually active — 14 per cent less than last year.
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At least one in four sexually active women in Singapore may be contributing to the rising abortion rate.
Dr Beh Suan Tiong, OGSS president
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Among them, 74 per cent were not prepared for pregnancy, but only six in 10 were using reliable contraception, such as condoms. A significant 26 per cent, three per cent more than last year, were not using contraception at all.
“It means at least one in four sexually active women in Singapore may be contributing to the rising abortion rate,” warned Dr Beh.
He sees about 20 cases of unplanned pregnancies a month, of which about three-quarters end in an abortion. There are about 12,000 abortions a year in Singapore.
Women continue to have misconceptions that the condom is more reliable than the pill, and that the pill has undesirable side-effects, the survey found. In fact, the pill offers 99 per cent reliability, while a condom has a failure rate of 2 to 15 per cent, Dr Beh said. Modern pills also do not lead to weight gain, added Dr Lee.
The OGSS attributed such misconceptions to a lack of education at a national level. The authorities’ intensive efforts to encourage people to use condoms to prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases have shown success, it said.
Both doctors advised couples to use both condoms and oral contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies and protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases.
In another poll of 240 students, aged between 15 and 20, respondents lacked basic sexual health knowledge. About 60 per cent thought douching, urinating and exercising could prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.
Such a lack of knowledge comes as a surprise, said Dr Beh. “If they bother to google it, I’m sure you can get a reasonable amount of knowledge.”
Schools should hire health professionals to teach this topic, he suggested, since some teachers may be shy to broach the issue.
The OGSS plans to target students and young adults in its public forums on issues such as adolescent health next year, said Dr Beh.
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