Contraceptive awareness and use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth: a cross-sectional analysis from the ‘Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study’

Participants had a good awareness of contraceptive options. Understanding how females and sexually active participants became aware may guide initiatives to increase awareness in other groups. Not using contraception was common. Strategies to normalise discussions about contraception, increase health service visits, influence school sex education and address power imbalances in relationships may increase use. Higher uptake of long-acting reversible contraception over the oral contraceptive pill suggests that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth may have adopted these more effective contraceptives earlier in time than non-Indigenous youth.