Silvana Iskandar B.S.¹; Katherine Sheets, M.Sc.²; Lisa Welling, Ph.D.²
¹ Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan
² Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan
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The Influence of Religiosity, Political Affiliation, And Social Dominance Orientation on Contraceptive Use Among Women
Oral contraceptive pills (OCP) allow women to plan childbirth according to personal and financial goals¹ and reduce the risk of gynecological cancers and diseases². Social factors, such as religion and political affiliation, heavily influence contraceptive use, shaping personal choices and policies³. Social dominance orientation (SDO), linked to conservative views and hierarchy support, remains understudied in this area. This study aims to explore how religiosity, political affiliation, and SDO affect women's decisions to use OCPs, providing insights into the barriers and motivators influencing OCP and informing healthcare strategies for women's reproductive health.
Introduction
Aims and Objectives
This study examines how religiosity, political affiliation, and social dominance orientation (SDO) influence oral contraceptive use among adult cisgender women aged 18 and older. While prior research has extensively explored the roles of religion and political ideology in contraceptive decision-making, the relationship between SDO and contraceptive use remains largely unexamined. Using data from naturally cycling women and oral contraceptive users, this study compares how these sociocultural and psychological factors relate to contraceptive use. Understanding these influences is important for identifying barriers to contraception and informing patient-centered counseling strategies that support informed reproductive health decision-making.
The study targeted cisgender women over 18, either naturally cycling or using oral contraceptives. Data was collected via a Qualtrics survey, recruited through social media, online platforms, and university courses. The survey began with a consent form and demographic questions. Political orientation was assessed with a single-item question rated on a 5-point scale (1 = extremely conservative, 5 = extremely liberal). Religiosity was measured using a seven-item Likert scale assessing beliefs, practices, and the importance of religion, with average scores compared between naturally cycling women and those using oral contraceptives. SDO was evaluated using a 14-item policy issues questionnaire, rated on a 7-point scale (1 = very negative, 7 = very positive). Data analysis was conducted using Excel and SPSS.
Methods
Results
References
1. Stacey D. People Use Contraception in Their Life for Many Reasons. Verywell Health. Published March 3, 2022.
2. National Research Council (US) Committee on Population. Contraceptive Benefits and Risks. National Academies Press (US)
3. Belmonte E, Gavilanes M, Del Vayo M. Medicamentalia.
Medicamentalia. Published March 20, 2018. Accessed Jul4.
4. Willoughby EA, Giannelis A, Ludeke S, et al. Parent Contributions to the Development of Political Attitudes in Adoptive and Biological Families. Psychological Science. 2021;32(12):2023-2034
5. Bottoms BL, Diviak KR, Davis SL. Jurors' reactions to satanic ritual abuse allegations. Child Abuse Negl. 1997;21(9):845-859.
6. Pratto F, Sidanius J, Stallworth LM, Malle BF. Social dominance orientation: A personality variable predicting social and political attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.��
Acknowledgements
This study examined the links between religiosity, political orientation, and SDO and oral contraceptive use. Non-users had higher religiosity, aligning with research on lower contraceptive use among religious individuals. Users had higher SDO scores, suggesting that desire for social hierarchy influences contraceptive behaviors. Political orientation showed only marginally significant differences, with most participants identifying as politically neutral.
Conclusions
I thank Dr. Welling for assistance with survey distribution and the participants for their time. I also acknowledge the Oakland University IRB for expedited review and approval.
Of the final sample, 234 participants identified as naturally cycling and 102 identified as using oral contraceptive pills (OCPs).
As shown in Table 1, logistic regression analyses revealed that religiosity and SDO were significantly associated with OCP use. Higher religiosity was linked to lower likelihood of contraceptive use, whereas higher SDO was associated with greater likelihood of OCP use. Political orientation was not significantly associated with OCP use after adjusting for other variables, though the trend approached significance.
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