Objective: To characterize the contraceptive practices of higher education students and to identify factors that contribute to the use of different contraceptive methods.
Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was carried out with a sample of 1946 students, with a mean age of 21 years (20.74±2.32), who attended courses at a University in the North of Portugal.
Results: Of the factors studied, the female gender, younger ages, previous behavior of condom use, knowledge about contraception, attitude and self-efficacy for condom use were associated with safer contraceptive choices.
Conclusion: Investing in sexual education for young people is an important public health strategy that can empower youth to make more appropriate choices and improve adherence to contraceptive methods, reducing the risk of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.