Lower contraceptive use among adolescents with a non-Western migration background in the Netherlands: The explanatory role of attitudes regarding gender equality

Abstract

Adolescents with a non-Western migration background in the Netherlands are less likely to use contraceptives than their native Dutch peers. Based on the assumption that the attitudes regarding gender equality of non-Western immigrant adolescents are strongly in line with the sexual double standard, this study examines whether their traditional gender attitudes can explain their lower contraceptive use (i.e., condom only, pill only and the dual method use). Cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the 2017 Dutch Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study were used. The sample included 773 sexually active adolescents aged 12-18 (M = 16.17, SD = 1.34). A mediation analysis was conducted. Results showed that adolescents with a non-Western migration background were less likely to report both pill use (OR = 0.29 [0.12, 0.71]) and dual method use (OR = 0.20 [0.08, 0.47]) than their native Dutch peers at last sexual intercourse. No difference was found for condom use. Attitudes regarding gender equality did not explain the association between migration background and contraceptive use. Therefore, research into other potential explanatory factors (such as sexual communication and family affluence) is needed. Alternatively, a different measuring instrument for attitudes regarding gender equality may yield different results.