Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Emergency-Contraception Methods among Female Dangila Hidase High School Students, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019

Abstract

Shiferaw Abeway Mamuye,1 Kihinetu Gelaye Wudineh,2 Almaz Nibret Belay,2 Kefyalew Dagne Gizachew3,4 1Department of Pediatric and Child Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia; 2Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 3Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 4Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Shiferaw Abeway MamuyeDepartment of Pediatric and Child Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, EthiopiaTel [phone]Email [email protected]: Emergency contraception is used after intercourse and before potential implantation, offering women a last chance to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse.Objective: This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception among female students at Dangila Hidase high school in northwest Ethiopia.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among female students at Dangila Hidase high school from from May 1 to 30, 2019. Systematic random sampling was used to select study participants. There were 1,219 students in Dangila Hidase high school. Of these, 625 of them were female students. There were 346 female students in grade 9 and 279 students from grade 10. Samples were allocated proportionally to each grade. A pretested self-administered structured questionnaire was used. Data were entered into Epi Info 3.5 and exported to SPSS 24 for analysis.Results: A total of 262 female students aged 16– 19 years were approached, and the response rate was 100%. Among respondents who had heard about emergency contraceptive, pills were the most commonly known method 98, 51.4%) followed by intrauterine contraceptive devices 42, 22.1%). A total of 75 (58.6%) participants had knowledge of the recommended number of pills to be taken. Of the 190 (72.5%) respondents who knew about emergency contraception, 147, 77.4%) had favorable attitudes toward its use. Of those who had had sexual intercourse 70, 26.7%), only 20 (28.6%) had used emergency contraception.Conclusion: Even though there is information available about emergency contraception, there is a gap with regard to the correct time of use. The positive attitudes of the respondents could be an indication of a fertile environment for possible interventions and reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality resulting from unwanted pregnancies and related complications.Keywords: emergency contraceptive, unwanted pregnancy, Dangila, KAP

Keywords

• emergency contraceptive
• unwanted pregnancy
• dangila
• kap