Assess and Compare the Knowledge, Attitude and Expressed Practices of Married Women Regarding EC and MTP at Selected Rural and Urban Communities of District Ambala, Haryana

Abstract

Emergency Contraception is a safe and effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancies following failure of contraception or unprotected sexual exposure, which in turn helps in reducing the maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortions. Unsafe abortions can be prevented by enhancing knowledge regarding Medical Termination of Pregnancy. Keeping all this in view a study to assess and compare the knowledge, attitude and expressed practices of married women regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy was carried out in selected rural and urban communities of District Ambala Haryana. The objectives of the study were to assess and compare the knowledge, attitude and expressed practices of married women regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy. The study also intended to determine relationship between knowledge and attitude scores of married women regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy and also to find out association of level of knowledge and attitude of married women regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy with selected demographic variables. 100 married women (50 women from rural communities and 50 from urban communities) were selected by convenience sampling technique. The data was collected using a structured knowledge interview schedule, an attitude scale and an expressed practices checklist. The results conclude that urban married women had more knowledge and more favorable attitude regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy than the rural married women. The results further showed that the knowledge and attitude of rural and urban married women were positively correlated to each other. The demographic variables that is education status, job, occupation, monthly family income and number of children impose an impact on the knowledge and attitude of rural and urban married women regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy. Urban married women had better expressed practices regarding emergency contraception and medical termination of pregnancy than the rural women.