Young women's evaluation of information sources before choosing a contraceptive: information literacy practices

This thesis project aims to gain an understanding of information literacy practices that young women are engaged in and that are assumed to be important to them as well as to society. The context chosen is sexual health and how young women use and evaluate information sources before choosing a contraceptive.

What happens when we make an important decision? What information do we use and how do we assess and make use of it?

Information literacy is a term usually used to describe and promote important skills in today’s information-intensive society: how to search for, find, evaluate and use information. Criticism of sources is a significant aspect of the concept and is also the focus of this project. The concept of information literacy is used based on a socio-cultural view of learning in which it cannot be understood separately but is dependent on a specific context. The concept is usually studied within education or professional life. The intention of this study is to investigate information practices in a context that can be considered important for both the individual and society.

The project is made up of two parts and uses various types of interview. The first part of the study has already been concluded and comprises interviews with young women and midwives at youth centres in connection with contraception advice. During the counselling sessions, recordings were made that were then played back during the interviews that followed with the young women and with the midwives. The second part of the study maps all the information sources that young women in contact with midwives at a youth centre have used before choosing a method of contraception.