Unprotected sex among female Italian uni- versity students: A «Calculated Risk»

Abstract

Contraception is considered a rational strategy to prevent unwanted births. However, beyond the dichotomy of «planned» and «unplanned» pregnancy, behaviours are sometimes ambivalent or contradictory. The present paper inves tigates the reasons beyond the non-use of contraception in Italy by examining a large-scale survey of university students conducted in 2000 and 2017. The findings reveal a small but clearly defined group of young female students, cohabiting with their partner and residing in the South of the country, who have a high frequency of sexual intercourses and do not deliberately use any contra ceptive method. These findings offer population-based evidence about the ex istence of a part of female Italian university students that, although not actively trying to have a child, are nevertheless fine to run the risk of pregnancy through unprotected sexual intercourses.