What do male medical students know about the pill? study of knowledge and attitudes at the University of Belgrade

Background: Women have been traditionally more involved in birth control than men. The purpose of this survey is to analyze knowledge of and attitudes towards oral contraceptives (OC) use in a population of male medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia.

Methods: In November/December 2011, a total of 237 male medical students were recruited at the Faculty of Medicine before the start of compulsory practical sessions in their classrooms. Data were obtained through a 26-item questionnaire regarding knowledge of and attitude towards OC use.

Results: Less than a half (40.4%) had a partner and 3.2% did not know whether their partner used the pill. Approximately one fifth of the students (28.5%) did not inform themselves about the pill at all. The average knowledge score differed according to the relationship status (Z = -3.414, p = 0.001). The average attitude score did not statistically differ according to the relationship status (Z = -1.384, p = 0.166). An advanced study year was statistically associated with higher knowledge and attitude scores (ρ = 0.575, p < 0.001; ρ = 0.206, p = 0.002, respectively).

Conclusion: Our students demonstrated a moderate level of comprehension. The results of our study indicate that the use of the OC pill needs further promotion to raise awareness of male involvement in health-related decisions of their partners.