Higher Learning Female Scholars’ Knowledge and Usage of Emergency Contraceptive Pills in Dodoma Tanzania

Abstract

Background An emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) is one of the contraceptive methods that provide the last chance of preventing unplanned and unintended pregnancy once there is unsafe sexual intercourse. Higher learning scholars are at danger of getting an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy which poses a major public health concern and needs to be addressed. Therefore study examines higher-learning female scholars’ the level of knowledge and usage of Emergency Contraceptive pills in Dodoma Tanzania.  Methodology A Quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study and a multi-stage sampling technique were used to obtain 909 higher learning female scholars’ aged between 18 to 35 years old residing at Dodoma University, St. John, and College of Business Education in Dodoma, Tanzania. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20  Results The Respondent rate was 99.7%. Among 906 respondents only 30.6% knew emergency contraceptive pills (ECP), 27.7% had never heard about emergency contraceptive pills and 19.5% had ever used ECPs. Among those with knowledge, 33.7% reported using emergency contraceptive pills while for those with no previous knowledge, 21.8% had used ECP. At CI of 95% and p<0.05, the use of ECPs had statistical significance with age, level of education, marital status, ever heard of ECPs, level of knowledge, and sexual relationship.  Conclusion The results of the analysis of this study show that the level of knowledge and usage of emergency contraceptive pills among higher-learning female scholars’ in Dodoma Tanzania was low. At CI of 95, the use of ECPs had a statistical relationship with age, level of education, marital status, ever heard of ECPs, level of knowledge, and sexual relationship.