Abstract
BackgroundThe pursuit of formal education now causes many people in developing countries to marry later in life, thereby leading to increased premarital sex and unintended pregnancies. Efforts have been made to characterize awareness and use of emergency contraception (EC) among undergraduate students in public universities in Nigeria; however, it is not known if students in private tertiary institutions adopt different practices or if having an affluent family background plays a role. This pilot study therefore aimed to assess the awareness and use of EC among students at a private Nigerian university toward assisting education planners in developing strategies in improving students’ reproductive well-being.ResultsOut of 94 female students, 42 (44.7%) had sexual experience, but only 32 (34.0%) were currently sexually active. Six students (6.4%) had had unwanted pregnancies, of which all but one were terminated. Fifty-seven respondents (60.6%) were aware of EC, though only 10 (10.6%) ever practiced it. The greatest source of EC information was from health workers and peers; the lowest source was family or relatives. Most respondents desired orientation and availability of EC on campus. EC awareness among the students was predicted by upper social class background (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–7.45) and upbringing in the Federal Capital Territory (adjusted OR, 4.45; 95% CI, 1.56–14.22).ConclusionsThough awareness of EC was higher among the private university students in this study than at most public universities, there was no difference in EC usage. A high pregnancy termination rate was observed; dilatation and curettage were mainly adopted. In Nigeria, youth-friendly reproductive health information and access should not be limited to government-owned tertiary institutions but also extended to private ones.
Highlights
The pursuit of formal education causes many people in developing countries to marry later in life, thereby leading to increased premarital sex and unintended pregnancies
When pregnancies are unwanted and unplanned in many low-income countries, they have a negative impact on the reproductive health of young adults since some of them resort to unsafe abortions, which are often complicated by genital infections, infertility, permanent morbidities, and sometimes death [2, 5,6,7]
The practice of emergency contraception (EC) by the students in the present study showed no remarkable departure from observations in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria [11, 12, 15]
Summary
The pursuit of formal education causes many people in developing countries to marry later in life, thereby leading to increased premarital sex and unintended pregnancies. Efforts have been made to characterize awareness and use of emergency contraception (EC) among undergraduate students in public universities in Nigeria; it is not known if students in private tertiary institutions adopt different practices or if having an affluent family background plays a role This pilot study aimed to assess the awareness and use of EC among students at a private Nigerian university toward assisting education planners in developing strategies in improving students’ reproductive well-being. Unlike regular methods of contraception adopted before sexual intercourse, EC is used to avoid pregnancy after unprotected sex It has a last-resort potential of avoiding unwanted pregnancy and, by extension, unsafe abortion, which is a desirable goal—especially in countries where abortion is illegal [2]. When pregnancies are unwanted and unplanned in many low-income countries, they have a negative impact on the reproductive health of young adults since some of them resort to unsafe abortions, which are often complicated by genital infections, infertility, permanent morbidities, and sometimes death [2, 5,6,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
