Knowledge of and attitudes to emergency contraception among students at a South African university

Emergency Contraception is very important in the fight to reduce the incidence of unplanned pregnancy and unnecessary abortion. The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy among young people, including university students, is increasing. This has negative socioeconomic implications for the students, universities and the country. This study therefore assessed the knowledge and attitude of students towards the use of emergency contraception. Two hundred and ninety female students residing on the university campus were systematically selected to participate in the study. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The majority (75%) knew about emergency contraception. Fifty percent of the study participants did not know when emergency contraception should be used. About 20% of the students think that emergency contraception is harmful. About 30% of the reported pregnancies were unplanned resulting in 57% abortions. About 10% of the sexually active students who were not trying to get pregnant have never used any type of contraception. Seventy percent of the students said emergency contraception is likely to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Sixty percent of those interviewed stated that they are likely to use emergency contraception next time they think that they are at risk of falling pregnant. Knowledge of the sources of free emergency contraception remains poor among the students. Strategies to promote the use of emergency contraception should be focused on improving knowledge of how to access it and its proper use for better effectiveness.