Modern contraception methods use by medical students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia

Anticoncepción moderna en estudiantes de medicina antes y durante la pandemia por covid-19 en Colombia

Objective: to assess modern contraception methods use before and during the COVID-19 confinement, among female medical students in Colombia. Method: a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study in female medical students who had initiated their sexual activity. A 2-part validated survey-type instrument was designed including questions on socio demographics and contraceptive methods use.: Part 1 collected information of the six months prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and Part 2, collected information of the first six months of confinement.  Results and discussion: 68.3% of 126 participants, reported using some type of modern contraception method before the mandatory lockdown, finding a significant statistical difference (p<0.05) with age and socioeconomic strata variables. The most commonly method used was the contraceptive pill (75.6%). During confinement, 40.7% of responders discontinued contraception and 43.7% continued sexual activity, reporting no pregnancies. Conclusions: contraception use among medical students decreased during confinement in comparison to the six months prior to the pandemic.