Fear and Misconceptions toward Infertility Impact Contraceptives Uptake among Teenagers at Higher Risk of Unwanted Pregnancy

Objective: This study intended to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude and behaviors towards contraceptive use among school going adolescents. Methods: Authors surveyed 405 female adolescent students between December, 2020 and February, 2021 in four public schools in Kitwe District, Zambia. Using a modified, previously validated questionnaire, they measured knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding modern contraceptives and explored associated socio-demographic factors. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used for statistical analysis where the significant level was set at p-value Results: Over half of respondents showed good knowledge (53.6%) and a positive attitude (57.3%), yet only 21.7% had ever used family-planning services while academic grade (χ2 = 15.745, p = 0.001), medical care services seeking behaviors (χ2 = 12.868, p = 0.04) and awareness of service locations (χ2 = 26.415, p = 0.001) predicted KAP scores. Conclusion: The study concludes that misconceptions—especially fear of infertility, and limited youth-friendly services contribute to persistently low contraceptive uptake. Empirical studies in the future can refine causal inferences that are limited in the current study while extensive educational programs could minimize fear and misconceptions about sexuality and sexual health practices among adolescents.