Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practices of female tertiary students at the University of Namibia regarding contraception. The objective of the study was to assess and describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of University of Namibia Education students at Rundu campus, regarding contraception with a view to make recommendations based on the findings of the study. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional design was used and a total of 220 female tertiary students from Rundu Campus were selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected from participants by the use of a self-administered questionnaire. Findings from this study showed amongst other that majority (80%) 166 showed poor practices towards contraception. However, the study showed that (91%) 202 has positive attitude regarding contraceptives and that this greatly contributes to high rate of unintended pregnancies as well as Sexually Transmitted Infections among them. It is recommended that in order to prevent unintended pregnancies as well as high incidences of Sexually Transmitted Infections among tertiary students, the Ministry of Health and Social Services must introduce a regular reproductive health outreach programme on campus, or establish a clinic on campus. Neglecting youth’s contraceptive needs contributes to high rate of unintended pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV/AIDS and, indirectly; maternal mortality.
Highlights
Contraception is a human right, vital for improving women’s health, lack of which exposes young women to Sexually Transmitted Infections, and unintended pregnancies
The objective of the study was to assess and describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of University of Namibia Education students at Rundu campus, regarding contraception with a view to make recommendations based on the findings of the study
The use of contraception has improved in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Latin America, it has continued to be low in sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2018)
Summary
Contraception is a human right, vital for improving women’s health, lack of which exposes young women to Sexually Transmitted Infections, and unintended pregnancies. In Africa, contraceptive use rose from 23.6% to 28.5%, in Asia it rose slightly from 60.9% to 61.8%, and in Latin America and the Caribbean it has remained stable at 66.7% of women in reproductive age (WHO, 2018). The use of contraception has improved in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Latin America, it has continued to be low in sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2018). The average contraceptive prevalence rate in Sub-Saharan Africa of 22% is less than half that of South Asia (53 percent) and less than a third that of East Asia (77 percent) (World Bank, 2009). The same report by the World Bank shows that 55.3% of women of the reproductive age in Namibia use modern methods of contraception (World Bank, 2009)
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