Association Between Menstrual Patterns and Anxiety Levels Among Three-Month Injectable Contraceptive Users at Midwifery Clinics, Banjarmasin

Abstract

Population growth remains a challenge in Indonesia. Therefore, the Family Planning (FP) program plays an important role in controlling birth rates. One of the most commonly used contraceptive methods is the three-month injectable contraceptive (DMPA) due to its effectiveness and practicality. However, the use of this contraceptive may cause side effects in the form of changes in menstrual patterns, such as amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, and spotting, which may affect the psychological condition of acceptors, particularly anxiety levels. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between changes in menstrual patterns and anxiety levels among DMPA acceptors. This study employed a quantitative analytic method with a cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of 290 DMPA acceptors, with a sample of 74 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using the Kendall Tau test. The results showed that out of 74 respondents, 73 respondents (98.6%) experienced changes in menstrual patterns, and most respondents had mild anxiety levels (63.5%). Amenorrhea was identified as the most common menstrual pattern change experienced by respondents. In addition, most participants had used the three-month injectable contraceptive for more than 18 months, which may contribute to the occurrence of menstrual disturbances. The findings also indicated that respondents who experienced more than one type of menstrual pattern change tended to report higher anxiety levels. The Kendall Tau test showed a p-value of 0.080 (α = 0.10) with a correlation coefficient of 0.196, indicating a statistically weak positive association. This study concludes that there is a statistically weak association between changes in menstrual patterns and anxiety levels among users of three-month injectable contraceptives