Young women’s experiences with their first contraceptive consultation in general practice: a Dutch mixed methods study

Abstract

Purpose: This mixed-methods study investigated young women’s experiences with the first contraception consultation with their general practitioners (GPs), including their expectations beforehand. Materials and methods: First, a questionnaire was completed by 516 young women (aged 16–25) who recently had their first contraception consultation (up until 2 years before). A linear multiple regression analysis was used to analyse which predictors were significantly associated with satisfaction with the consultation. Second, a subsample of 14 participants was interviewed, to gain insight into factors shaping experiences with the first contraception consultation. Results: Overall, women were quite content with their first contraception consultation with the GP and rated it with a 7.1 (SD = 1.56) on a scale from 1–10. However, their experience was negatively affected when women did not feel at ease or respected, if they experienced a lack of time, or missed the opportunity to ask questions. 58.2% of the women wanted shared decision making, but only 18.7% actually experienced this (X2(1)=30.91, p < 0.001). Despite a strong need for information, not all young women were open to information during the initial contraception consultation. Women’s expectations, feelings of uncomfortableness, and their preoccupations with starting contraception, shaped the openness to clinical information from the GP. Conclusions: Expectations of the consultation should be made explicit during the consultation to improve young women’s experiences. A standard follow-up evaluation consultation for women starting contraception may increase the likelihood of satisfaction with the chosen contraceptive method and thus contribute to quality of care.